Pasta with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Joel and I made an enormous pot of this for a spring dinner & Scrabble party, and had it for lunch several days following. My version has artichoke hearts, while C. recommended using asparagus and swapping the cream for cream cheese. Include further alterations as you see fit!

Based on this recipe from Epicurious

- 3 red bell peppers: sliced in half and put under the broiler, cut side down, for 8-10 minutes until the skins are evenly charred. Allow to cool, then peel off the skin and puree in blender or food processor.
- 1 lb. of pork or turkey sausage: brown in heavy pot over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 cup chopped onion and 3 minced garlic cloves, saute until onions are translucent.
- Stir in red pepper puree and 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes.
- Add 2 bay leaves and dried oregano (to taste).
- Add 1 can drained quartered artichoke hearts and 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil (or other desired vegetables).
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in 1/3 - 1/2 cup heavy cream (those with a base concern for calories may use half & half, or even milk...). Simmer for another minute, then turn off heat.

- While preparing sauce, boil 1 lb. pasta (I recommend farfalle or orecchiette) until bite-tender, then drain and return to the pot.
- Pour sauce over the pasta, and stir to combine.
- Serve in your loveliest bowls and top with grated romano cheese.

We accompanied this delight with roasted asparagus glazed with butter and hot pepper jelly, and followed with strawberry shortcakes.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Potato?

One of the very few foods that R doesn't enjoy- so naturally, I've risen to the challenge and have spent 30 some years presenting yams and sweet potatoes chopped, spiced, sweetened, flattened and disguised all in an effort to make him realize what he's missing. Silly me. Turns out he found the answer himself at our favorite restaurant
Anything is yummy when mixed with wasabi. Make sure you add the wasabi incrementally- I think different brands are spicier.

Wasabi Sweet Potatoes with Asian Spiced Steak and Walnut Broccoli

The sweet potatoes accompanied a 5 spice rubbed tenderloin. I had some SOY VAY Brand Hoisin Garlic Marinade that I marinated the steak with and then finished it in the broiler. Here’s what else we had- Rick is really a fan of the sweet potatoes with extra wasabi mixed in.
Wasabi Sweet Potatoes
~Add to boiling water:
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
~Cook until easily pierced with a fork (15 mins?)
~Drain water, mash potatoes, and add:
4 tbls or to taste of cream cheese
2-3 tbls of butter or margarine
3-4 tsps of wasabi powder mixed with water to make a thick paste
1 tbls lite sodium soy sauce

Walnut Broccoli:
~Heat 2 tbls sesame oil plus 1 tbls garlic oil or olive oil in wok or large
frying pan- add 1 cup walnut pieces and cook until just darkened,
remove and set aside.
~Add to remaining oil in pan and cook until soft:
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
~Add 2 cups broccoli cut in bite size pieces and ½ cup of beef broth
~Cover and steam broccoli until just tender.
~Stir in walnuts, add soy sauce to taste

And now she's 30!

We had a great time at a Morrocan Restaurant in Portland for the big three-oh birthday. Here's my attempt to recreate a wonderful chicken with dried apricots that was served during the belly dancing! Mine isn't quite as sweet-also not as exciting- but turned out tasty, none the less.

Apricot Chicken

~ Brown 8 skinless chicken thighs in 2 tbls olive oil in a large roasting pan (stove top safe) push meat to one end of the pan and add:
1 ½ onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
~Saute until onions are translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.
~Add to pan and combine with meat and veggies:
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp tandoori spice (available at world market – or try subbing ½ tsp ea. coriander, ground allspice, salt, and nutmeg)
1 tsp ground ginger, plus 1 inch fresh minced
½ tsp hot pepper sauce or to taste
¼ tsp turmeric
~Stir in:
2 cups chicken broth (might need to add more liquid as it cooks)
Juice from 2 large oranges, 1 large lemon (about 1 cup juice)
1 cup dried apricots
2 -3 tbls apricot jam

Cover and cook in 350 degree oven for 45 mins. or until chicken is almost falling off the bone. Uncover. Add 3-4 zucchini, cubed, 1 drained can of garbonzo beans (chick peas) and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro. Cook until squash is just tender, 5-10 minutes.
Garnish with green olives and serve with couscous mixed with toasted almonds.

Serves about 8

A Pork Chop Comment

I just realized that Joel left a pork chop question - oh about a million months ago. I happen to have been experimenting with pork recipes lately. He wondered what to do with a thick chop. You can bake them- but first, try this. I'm all excited about a marinade/brine for 30 minutes in a salt and apple juice solution. For four chops or a 1 1/2 lb loin use 1/4 cup salt dissolved in 3 cups of apple juice. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. You won't believe the juicy texture! I've brined pork loins, coated them with chopped pecan/bread crumbs and served with chutney and it was good. You could also brine and then slice the thick chops to make a pocket and stuff them with a prepared chutney or a homemade combination like dried apricots and onions marinated in brandy, or a bread stuffing. Bake in a hot oven- 375-400 degrees for 17- 25 minutes ( 150 degrees internal temp is good for pork) about 17-25 minutes and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe is adapted from cooks illustrated - (Jan- Feb 2008 if you want to see theirs)

Pecan Pork Loin

~Submerge 1 1/2 lb pork loin or thick chops in solution of ¼ c salt dissolved in
3 cups apple juice. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water & dry.
~Toast 1 ¼ c pecans, cool, chop and mix with 2 cups soft bread crumbs..
~Combine with minced garlic, 2 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp thyme leaves, 2 tbl Parmesan cheese, pepper to taste.
~Whisk 2 egg whites with 2-3 tbl sweet- hot prepared mustard ~ add
2 tbl or so of flour (it's very glue-like).
~ Spread the mustard mixture on your meat and dip it in the pecan mixture to
coat.

~Bake on a wire rack in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet in a hot (375-400
degree) oven for 17-25 mins. (150 degree internal temp) Let rest 5 mins.

Nice served over sliced apples sautéed with onions seasoned with brown sugar, rice vinegar or wine, shake of cinnamon or nutmeg. Or use a prepared chutney to flavor another sautéed fruit- mangoes or peaches or apples.

Serves 4-6

Wedding Menu

Wedding Menu- August 30, 2003

This is a post I prepared to celebrate L and T's anniversary, but then I had a senior moment and "I FORGOT!" Doh- Anyway, I'll try to recreate the missing recipes and post them soon. It was a wonderful menu.


Oaxan peanuts and tri color chips with salsa
Scallop cakes with cilantro aioli
Jicama and orange skewers with mint and lime marinade
Mini Mexican quiches of cheese and green chilies
Cherry tomatoes stuffed with corn salsa

Mexican spring rolls with herbed dipping sauce*
Savory chicken fillo empanadas*
Mini sweet peppers with cilantro ranch dip
Pepper jack cheese cubes with scallions

Dinner Buffet:
Marinated prawns with lemon mango salsa served on greens*
Cheese enchiladas
Tortillas –warm with guacamole* and assorted salsas
Shredded red cabbage and orange salad with White Mexican Dressing*
Black Bean and corn salad with red sweet peppers*
Garden tomato salad with fresh oregano vinaigrette*

Bowls of seasonal berries
Brownies
Wedding Cake



*recipes made by friends and family

Thinking about the Menu

Here are some menus from this past week- I'm interested in keeping track so that I can develop the most complimentary combination. Recipes are posted for many of these entres.

Chicken Fajitas, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies (onions, sweet peppers, zucchini*) Guacamole and Soft Tortillas. (used roasted garlic, cumin, chili powder in the veggies- Xmas fajita spice rub, chopped onions and tomatoes in the chicken) *nice combination- I'd like to try pumpkin with fajitas some time.


Lemon Thyme Chicken, Thin Spaghetti**, Roasted Lemon Cauliflower, Greens with Diced Apples, Toasted Pecans and Balsamic Dressing.** only starch I had -worked ok, but wide noodles are better with this- I also didn't have mushrooms, which add a lot, I think.


Teryaki Salmon*** with Sushi Sides (Sliced Avoacado, Scallions, Pickled Ginger), Rice, Stir Fried Snap Peas and Broccoli with Toasted Black Sesame Seeds.***I've given up making my own marinade for this and use SoyVay- it must be loaded with sugar as the dish comes out carmelized ...but boy is it tasty!

Coq au Vin

This is a wonderful wintertime, do ahead, chicken in wine stew to enjoy with friends. It takes a bit of chopping and stirring- but most of the work is done ahead and if you make
the mashed potatoes ahead, too- it's not bad. I mash the potatoes with soy cream cheese, and margarine, and chicken broth- refrigerate overnight and just reheat in the microwave.
We also had a salad with spicy pecans and pears, and quick, sauteed green beans tossed with roasted red peppers. Pumpkin pie came with a friend for dessert!




Coq au Vin (Adapted from The Silver Palate)


~One day before serving, fry 10 slices of bacon in a large roasting pan that can
handle stove top cooking too. When crisp, remove and drain on paper towels

~Brown about 6 lbs of chicken pieces in the hot bacon fat. I think that thighs (with skin and bones) are best- but you can also use halved (like you have to cleave the usual size chicken breast in half) chicken breast pieces (so they’re more the size of thighs) if you only like white meat- or mix and match. Remove when nicely browned and set aside.

~Add to pan and sauté for 5 mins-
20 or so 1 inch peeled boiling onions
2 bunches, chopped scallions (mostly just the white part)
1 small regular onion chopped fine
1 large head garlic, cloves separated and peeled (cut big cloves in half)

~Sprinkle 3 tbls flour over the vegetable mixture and stir to combine
Cook for a minute or so.
~Slowly add to vegetable mixture:
3 ½ cups of good quality hearty red wine (cabernet sauvignon or a favorite)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme leaves, 3 bay leaves,
2 tbls ketchup
2 tbls dried or fresh parsley, chopped
~Heat mixture to boiling, return chicken and crumbled bacon to pan and spread
out evenly. Salt and pepper to taste. Cool, cover and refrigerate over night.

~The next day, let the coq au vin warm to room temperature before baking.
~Add 1 pound mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered, about 4 cups of 3 -4 inch
long, julienned carrots
~Bake covered for an hour in a 350 degree oven.

~Uncover, stir, add additional broth so that the tops of the chicken pieces can
brown, but the lower halves stay in the liquid, and continue cooking for
at least an hour- or until the meat is almost falling off the bone tender
and the liquid is gravy consistency.

~Serves 8-10, sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley and mashed potatoes.