Published by mel on May 22, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Anything Moroccan just sound exotic and scrumptious right? Well, I have to be honest. I’ve never had authentic Moroccan food, and I wouldn’t even know where to get it if I wanted it. But I found a Moroccan spice blend on epicurious and knew right away that I’d love the flavors.
Cumin, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, cayenne and coriander all mixed together in just the right proportions. I made the spice blend, skewered some chicken and sweet Vidalia onion onto kebabs and rubbed it all over with olive oil, salt and pepper and the spices.
Is there anything better than meat on a stick? I love that kebabs are easy to grill, easy to portion and look great. Once these came off the grill, I topped them with chopped olives. The kebabs were juicy, spicy and aromatic, and the olives were a perfect briny contrast to the seasoned chicken.
I’m glad I stumbled on this spice mix because I know these kebabs are going to be around all summer long. Say hello to grilling season!
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Published by mel on March 9, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Tom has found a new hobby. Whenever he goes to a restaurant, he orders an entree, and if he likes it enough, he comes home and challenges me to recreate it. He’ll say “I had Penne Puttanesca this weekend. It was good, but I bet you can make it better.” Sneaky. Very sneaky. He knows I like a challenge.
So, this weekend I set out to recreate the puttanesca pasta he enjoyed so much. A quick read on wikipedia revealed tons of interesting tidbits about puttanesca — most of which had to do with the origins of the dish’s name. Apparently, no one really knows how this dish came to be named after ladies of the night (to put it nicely). Some say it’s because it’s cheap and quick to prepare, others say that brothel madams made the dish to lure customers into their “shop”, and still others say it’s for reasons too vulgar to mention on a food blog. In the end, no one knows how Puttanesca got its name. And frankly, I’m not sure I care. It’s quite tasty either way.
This simple pasta is inexpensive and comes together in 20 minutes or less, which makes it the ideal candidate for a weeknight dinner (or lazy weekend dinner if you’re sick like me!). Also makes a good Lent Friday dish. Simply saute garlic and dried chiles in olive oil, add tomatoes and anchovies, simmer, then stir in some olives and capers. Toss with pasta and you’ve got a strong and spicy pasta dish that sure to entice.
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Published by mel on January 22, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Broccoli, black olives and goat cheese. Do these things go together? Why, yes they do. I’ve always found that fancy, oil-cured black olives lend a nice salty brininess to broccoli. Goat cheese and olive oil give this sauce a sumptuous creaminess to balance out the saltiness.
I was tempted to call this a pesto, but I thought that wouldn’t go over too well with pesto purists. That said, the method is very similar. Steam the broccoli, then blend it with olive oil, black olives, goat cheese and a pinch of salt. What you get looks more like a dip than a sauce, but mixed with some pasta water, you get a velvety, creamy sauce flecked with bright green broccoli that’s a little tangy and really delicious.
I tossed the sauce with whole wheat pasta and some browned Italian Sausage for a wholesome and filling lunch. Serve this with a big, green side salad and you’ve got a delicious weeknight meal. Just make sure your dishwasher’s empty — this bad boy makes loads of dishes. Thank God I’ve got a wonderful hub to take care of those pots and pans for me!
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Published by mel on June 9, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I spied a sort of recipe for skillet flatbread over at Mark Bittman’s blog a few weeks ago and bookmarked it immediately. It peaked my interest because of its simplicity, its use of Whole Wheat flour and because it doesn’t take yeast. My impatient self loves that. Apparently, it’s also impossible to mess up. The author (Kerri Conan) says you can substitute any kind of whole grain flour and can play with the measurements of the flour and the water depending on whether you want something soft and “custardy” or nice and crisp. I went with the crisp. This kind of improvised, non-exact recipe is exactly how I like to cook!
And the flatbread was wonderful. Simple, hearty and ridiculously easy to make. Five ingredients and 45 minutes is all you need before you’re enjoying the crisp, warm pita-like bread. We topped ours with some freshly grilled and marinated graffiti eggplant, feta cheese and oil-cured black olives. Very delicious on a hot Sunday afternoon. Especially when eaten on a paper towel pool-side.
You can also pile it with pizza toppings and put it under the broiler for a few minutes. It’s not quite as soft and chewy as regular pizza dough, but works well if you have no time or patience for the dough to rise. I also think this would make a beautiful appetizer for guests simply topped with cheese, fresh produce and herbs and cut into pretty squares. Or a simple, sweet snack with cheese, figs and honey.
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