Roasted Eggplant Sauce

This Sunday super is a total rip off from an amazing local restaurant well known for large bowls of steamy fresh pasta and house made sauces.  The original Quatro Pazzi in Stamford, CT on Hope Street is where this originated, the location has since changed names but Quatro Pazzi has franchised with locations in Fairfield, Downtown Stamford, and at a Golf Course in Norwalk:  www.quattropazzi.com
 

Its a vegetarian's dream, great for a crowd, even better for a budget and a perfect edition to a holiday feast.  The original is served with farfalle, in a (HUGE) bowl with little cubes of fresh mozzarella on top, designed to melt and get gooey as you fold it into the hot sauce.  Hard to replicate for a crowd but a bowl of mozz balls on the table or a few in the serving bowl will do the trick.

 

 A bit of prep work pays off with very little cooking time, leaving extra time for the salad, the wine, the table setting, the bread warming and million other things that pop-up 15 mins before the meal goes on the table.

Step 1:  Eggplant

• 2 Large Eggplant, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• Toss with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar
• Sprinkle of S&P
• Roast at 450 on a foil lined cookie sheet - in a single layer with very little overlap or touch
• Bake till brown on all sides - usually 25 mins, depending on how much is on the pan
• Cover and chill till its time for dinner

Step 2: Sauce

• Defrost OR prepare a basic chunky tomato sauce, with basil and the usual:
• 1 large can diced tomato
• 1 clove diced garlic
• 1 table spoon diced onion or shallot (or both)
• Oregano
• fresh basil, cut into strips
• S&P

Step 3: Roasted Garlic

• Heat 2 table spoons of olive oil in a saucepan, add whole cloves of garlic
• Toast till golden brown, careful not to burn or you'll have to start over
• Remove garlic, chop when cooled and reserve, you'll need it in a few mins

Step 4:  Assemble the feast

• Add diced shallots to hot pan, cook till lightly browned
• Add red pepper flakes, if you don't like heat still add the flakes but use a small amount, it needs a little kick and will blend nicely with the red sauce
• Chop toasted garlic and add to the pan
• Add sauce and simmer for 20 mins
• Add cooked eggplant and lower heat to simmer, do not let boil as the eggplant will break up too much, you want chunks to stay in tact
• Boil water for your favorite pasta - Farfalle is the original but fresh pasta is key with this recipe, once you have it fresh you will not want it from a box. That said, fresh pappardelle or fettuccine, but nothing thinner than fettuccine as the sauce needs something thick to stand up to it
• Reserve some of the cooking liquid once the pasta is al dente
• Drain pasta and toss with a few spoon fulls of sauce, add pasta water if needed to thin it out a bit
• Serve in a large bowl with the remaining sauce in the center
• Place cubes of fresh mozz around the bowl, with some on reserve on the side
• Add strips of fresh basil
• Mangia

Blueberry and Mascarpone Tart

I have tried pie crust a few times and have not yet mastered it but I've learned to pick my battles and save baking from scratch to the holiday season and cold winter nights vs. hot summer Sundays when I have 3 pots going already

• Crust: 
• The crust was in the freezer and I needed the room...so i baked it, its so easy and worth having on hand
• bake according to package directions in a pie tin
• Filling: 
• One 8 Oz container of mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 a container of Part Skim Ricotta Cheese - NonFat is watery and full fat is not necessary
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• Mix and chill for 30 mins or more to let sugar dissolve and flavors marry

• Topping:
• 1 pint of blueberries and raspberries (or any berry that's available)
• Sprinkle of lemon zest and confectioner sugar 

Special Sunday Cooking

For no special reason I decided to go a bit crazy in the kitchen today and make a few (hundred) things.  I think its my mental preparation for the dear Julia Child's birthday approaching this week.  I felt inspired and decided to hit the farmers market, stop and shop, and whole foods all in one day.  Popped open some red wine, cut some fresh herbs, defrosted some chicken stock and went to town
1.  Dinner was a lovely and surprisingly light Pork Chop Scarpiello, prepared the same as chicken minus the sausage and dark meat.  I brined the chops as usual so they were plump and tender, browned in a pan, removed from the heat

• Add shallots, garlic, jarred hot cherry peppers, a few spoon fools of the hot pepper liquid, chicken stock, lemon juice and fresh parsley
• Done and Delish in about 25 min
• Served with sauteed fresh spinach and baked potato (and fresh crusty bread of course)

2.  A hot sunny day at the market seemed like a good day for hot peppers, I bought about a half pound of red and green Italian long HOTS

• Cut the stem, sliced into thick strips, toss with olive oil and S&P Add 3 cloves sliced garlic
• Cover w/foil and bake @ 375 for 40/50 mins till roasted
• These will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for a few weeks...if they last that long
• Add to sandwiches, eggs, burgers, or on bread w/cheese

3.  The main event was the Bolognese Sauce a perfect make ahead sauce, as I plan on letting it cook for a few hours today, and a few more tomorrow and serving in a few days, with a container or two for the freezer of course.  This classic sauce is a mixture of proteins, wine, tomotoe and herbs

"Rich without being heavy, a ragu is a meat sauce with tomato, it is not a tomato sauce with meat" Emeril Lagasse

• I wont pretend that this is my recipe, its adapted from years of reading several other recipes
• I use a veal 1/2, beef 1/4, pork 1/4 combo - sold as meatloaf mix or you can buy seperately
• Diced carrot, onion, celery, garlic
• Dry White wine, tomato paste, beef or chicken stock
• Fresh rosemary, thyme, bay leaf

4. The last stop on my crazy train is a light dessert, not that I was in the mood for baking but I honestly wanted to get rid of a few things in my fridge (Pie crust, blueberries, and ricotta cheese).  I found a few things and created this one:
Blueberry Tart

New house, new kitchen, new food...

Moving into our new house is so exciting, new space, lots of closets, new memories and new meals to cook.Unfortunately the kitchen is less than small...but recently updated.  An adjustment to say the least. 

Electric stove, very little counter space but somehow the food tastes better and the cooking is somehow more fun in my own kitchen.

It will be even more delicious and exiting in about 8/9 months (post wedding) when we knock down a wall to expand the kitchen!!

The white and yellow are bright and refreshing:

First thing we did was set up this temporary shelving for my appliances, god forbid if I didnt have my coffee pot and Kitchen Aid Mixer at arms length:

Next, we added this door pantry to help me organize my (way too many) spices:

Small kitchen or not, I've been cooking like crazy and loving it...lemon chicken, gnocchi, pork tenderlion, lasagne, zucchini bread, cookies, pancakes, and a few other things.  Not bad for 3 weeks.  Im looking forward to my first dinner party and a cozy season of crockpot and fall slow simmers.

Light and lovely Gnocchi

What to do with a mound of leftover mashed potatoes?  Whip up fresh Gnocchi for my fiance, of course!
After a lovely meal of baked chicken I found myself with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, I learned that these don't freeze well. (The milk doesn't like the freezer)
I googled a few things and came up with the brilliant and carb loving idea of Gnocchi with a spicy sauce for a meatless Monday dinner.

I borrowed a few ideas few different sites and came up with the recipe below.  Its light but not too light, but not has heavy as the usual all potato belly bombs:

• 2 cups cold mashed potato
• 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 2 large fresh eggs
• 1.5 - 2 cups flour
• + a few sprinkles for the board

Mix cheese, eggs, cheeses with the leftover potatoes in a large bowl with an electric mixer.  This will ensure all the little lumps are smoothed out.  Add flour and mix gently - starting with spoon and finishing with fingers, its the best way to incorporate.  Texture should be a bit sticky and softer than regular pasta dough.

Once incorporated roll it out onto a large cutting board or counter - dust with flour.  Roll into small balls and cover the remaining dough.  Roll into 1 inch wide snake-like shapes.  Using a sharp floured knife or scraper cut into small 1/2 inch slices.  Freeze on parchment or wax paper lined baking sheets till you cut through the rest of the dough...it will make a lot.

To cook: 

• Warm a saute pan, add a drizzle of oil and small pad of butter
• Boil in large pot of salted water for a couple mins, don't know the exact time but its ready when it floats to the top.  Remove with slotted spoon and let water drain, add to the warm pan and heat till golden brown, add a few spoon fulls of spicy sauce and cover to heat through.
• Sprinkle fresh basil and grated parm and serve right from the sauce-pan

Variations:  Pesto, Brown Butter + Sage, Meat Sauce, or Vodka Sauce

A Meat and Two Veg

Tonights meal features some of the best of local farmers markets to compliment my classic grilled pork tenderloin:1.  Grilled Pork

• The pork is lean so of course its brined overnight (http://bit.ly/KHqBNE)
• Glaze:
• 1 Tablespoon each of minced garlic and shallots
• Splash of balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon of canola oil
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• 1 Tablespoon grainy mustard
• Chopped parsley and Thyme
• Red Pepper Flakes
• S&P
• Grill over medium/low heat - 6 mins on each side, brush with glaze once each side is seared and browned
• Heat to Grilled to 144/150 degrees with yummie glaze: 

2.  Rainbow chard from the Rowayton Farmers Market http://bit.ly/jZaQd8

• Diced Shallots
• Diced Garlic
• Red pepper Flakes
• Rinsed Chard, cut into ribbons

Heat olive oil and add shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, add steps when garlic starts to brown, when browned and tender remove from pan.  Add leaves, sprinkle w/S&P and cover till wilted - toss stems back in to serve

3.  Pan roasted Carrots from the Rowayton Farmers Market

• Pealed carrots, cut into thin strips
• Fresh parsley/oregano or thyme

Heat olive oil and add rinsed carrots, cover and heat over medium heat for 10 mins, tossing lightly.  Allow to brown on all sides before adding herbs
Cook till tender but still has some bite in the center

Heatwave Cooking - in style

With 98 degree heat its hard to cook and be creative, takeout is too easy but too much money and can be fatening.
Tonight I am going with an asortment of light summer, italian specialties:

Plum Tomatoe with basil and Burrata Mozzeralla over grilled chiabata
Spicey Turkey Sausage with grilled bell peppers over pollenta cakes
Light Rose' with a splash of berry seltzer

Amazing!