Anyway. I have been making this for ever. And a day. It is a bog comfort food for me, and at present pasta seems to be one of the few nonliquid foods that will go down my throat.  I literally threw this together the day after I got home from my thyroidectomy.  Let me tell you, I have not cooked a whole heck of a lot since then. I need to feel better and cook soon or we will have to change the venue of the blog to Cranky Middle Aged Woman Kibbitzing.

You can use any kind of pasta you happen to have. Shells are nice because the peas get stuck in them and they hold all the sauce. Anyway, this is supposed to be a simple dish…use what you have and keep it that way.

The sauce is a quick garlic,  butter, onion, and basil mixture with peas, kidney beans (you can use cannellini), and cooked pasta tossed in and Parmigiano-Reggiano grated over top.  If you happen to have some left over chicken breast or shrimp toss it in there too. Sometimes I add pepperoni.

Repeat after me…this is simple.

Add a warm baguette, some sweet butter, sliced heirloom tomatoes, and a chunk of melon and you won’t need anything else. It is that perfect.

Venetian Pasta and Peas

serves 8

• 2 lbs of pasta, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 2 cans cooked, dark red kidney beans (or your choice)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 8 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and onion and saute until transparent and tender.
2. Add butter and allow to melt over low heat. You don’t want the butter to brown.
3. Stir in drained beans and peas.
4. Heat through and add in pasta and basil. Toss lightly.
5. Heap in serving dish and cover with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Erin, my daughter, is addicted to mango. It has been one of her favorite fruits since she first sampled it, I think. Whenever I see mango in the store I think of her. And…this time of year they are at their best here so I buy them. The mango black bean salsa I made was so awesome I decided that I wanted to try a spicy mango chutney.

Spicy Mango Chutney

I used the traditional raisins even though I don’t like raisins cooked. I wanted to get a feel for the taste and texture before I played too much with it. Next time I think I will use dried cranberries instead. I also added the pecans, and made other adjustments but the recipe is based on one from the Culinary Institute of America Cookbook.

This is sweet, rich, spicy, and exotic all at once. I have used it several ways. I made a Moroccan Chicken, also based out of the CIA book, and I used the chutney along with cubed chicken breast as a tea sandwich filling for Erin’s shower.

…Then of course there was the bowl licking that I did…so, serve it with chicken, serve it with pork, serve it on a spoon…it is good no matter what you do!

If you don’t know how to cube mangoes, it is quite simple. Cut down through the mango on either side of the pit. Run your knife vertically without cutting through the skin, and then horizontally. Now Push the skin up from the bottom which will separated the mango squares. Cut them off with the knife, and voila! You have cubed mango.

Spicy Mango Chutney

• 2 cups very ripe mango, cubed
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 jalapeno seeded and minced
• 1/2 red fresno pepper seeded and minced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the pecans in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer slowly, stirring often, for about 15 minutes.
2. Taste and adjust the sweet to tangy ratio to personal taste by adding a touch more sugar or balsamic.
3. Add the pecans just before serving.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

image:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

I love carbs.  My body does not like them at all and so there ensues a war between the desire to be a size six and the desire to eat what I like.

Chicken and noodles is basic comfort food.  Call it chicken and noodles, pot pie, chicken and dumplings, or chicken alfredo you just can’t beat the mix of flavors.  This is chicken and noodles with an epicurean accent.  Think of it as….hmm…Ma Kettle wearing a Dior.

Except this works.

This is my entry for presto pasta.  Kitchenetta of Got No Milk is hosting this week so head over there Friday and check it out!

Chicken with Roasted Garlic Noodles

•  2 heads garlic
• 1 pound package egg noodles, cooked
•  1 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half cream
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
•  8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives or fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F .  Wrap the garlic head in foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the cloves are soft. Allow to cool.

1. Slice off the top of the garlic head, and squeeze the softened cloves into a medium bowl. Mix in the chicken broth,  salt, and pepper.
2. Dredge the chicken in flour and brown in the olive oil.  Set aside
3. Cut the tops off the garlic heads and squish the soft garlic into a bowl. add the cream and chicken broth.  Mix well and add to the juices in the skiller.  Bring just to a boil
4. Reduce heat, and return chicken to the skillet. Continue cooking the chicken until done.  Remove chicken, and arrange on plates over the egg noodles.
5. Stir in a little flour to the garlic mixture if necessary for thickening.  simmer until thickened the way you like it.  Add the lemon zest and lemon juice,Mix the butter into the garlic sauce mixture  until melted, and stir in the chives. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and egg noodles to serve.

Image:MaryeAudet

Post from: Baking Delights

 For the tappanade

1 can black olives

1/2 c green salad olives

1/4 c onion

3 cloves garlic, peeled.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tbs olive oil

pulse together in food processor until coarsely pureed. Set aside.

16 flour tortillas, whole wheat homemade is best, but whatever you like.   

For filling:

2 zucchini-sliced in 1/8″ thick slices LONGWISE.

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c chopped red onion

1/2 c chopped tomato

other vegetables as desired.

1/2 c cheese, such as mozzerella, romano, or feta

  Drizzle slices of zucchini with oil and rub with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. Heat grill (or broiler) up and grill quickly on each side…just until you have good grill marks and zuccini is tender without being mushy.

  Heat tortillas until they are pliable. Working quickly spread about a tsp of tapanade down one side of the tortilla, top with one slice of zucchini , sprinkle with onions, tomato, and cheese (and anything else you desire.) Roll tightly. This makes 16, or what I consider to be 8 servings.

These would be great for picnics, or even cut in smaller pieces and served as appetizers.

Post from: Baking Delights

  2 medium onions

2 cloves garlic, sliced

4 tbs olive oil

3 large red peppers (or red, yellow and orange)

2 pkg yeast

1 c warm water

1 Tbs sugar

2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

1 tsp dried chipotle if desired

1 tsp cracked black pepper

4 c flour

1 egg

1/4 tsp oregeno

Chop one onion. Cook onion and garlic in 2 Tbs  olive oil until  tender. Chop one pepper and add. Cook until limp. Puree this mixture.

Cut the other pepper into a small dice -saute until soft but shape is retained

Slice onion in 1/2 inch slices. saute until transparent. Cool. Add egg, chipotle, and oregeno. set aside.

 Proof yeast in water. with sugar. Add salt, remaining olive oil,  cayenne, and cracked pepper. Add puree and diced pepper and mix well. Add 3 c flour and mix to a soft dough. Turn out and knead in as much extra flour as you need to to achieve an elastic, smooth ball of dough. oil dough.Let rise 1 hour.

 Shape into flat, 10 inch round. Indent a 9 inch diameter area int he center to recieve the topping. Spread cooled onion mixture over dough and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled.

 Bake at 350 45-50 minutes.

Post from: Baking Delights