Food Lush

Uses for garden basil part 1: very green pasta salad

by Katie

For the first time this year, we planted a small vegetable and herb garden. While there have been some notable failures (ahem, zucchini) our basil plant has taken off like crazy, and is now waist high. I like pesto and caprese salads as much as the next girl, but we have wayyyyyy too much basil for just those. So for the next few weeks I'm going to talk about some of our efforts to branch out and use basil in more interesting/unusual ways.

My first attempt was this pasta salad. Like I said, I love pesto, but it can sometimes feel a little heavy and oily, particularly on a cold pasta salad. What if, I wondered, I tried to brighten the flavors of pesto up a bit using some vinegar to make a pesto vinaigrette? And then, just to continue the green theme, threw a bunch of green vegetables in there too!

BINGO. So tasty.

Basil vinaigrette dressing:

1 cup basil leaves, lightly packed (I used a mix of traditional basil and lime basil, which has a nice citrus flavor. If you have an unusual basil flavor growing in your garden, use it!)

1 clove of garlic, blanched in boiling water for one minute to soften the bite, then minced

2 Tbsp champagne or white wine vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

a generous pinch salt

a small pinch red pepper flakes.

Throw all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and whir until liquid.

Assembling the salad:

Cook 1/2 pound of your favorite pasta shape according to package directions.

About 3 minutes before the pasta is done, toss in a handful of frozen broccoli and a handful of frozen peas. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

Transfer pasta and vegetables to a large bowl. Add 1/2 can white beans, rinsed and drained.

Pour dressing over the mixture and toss to coat.

(Photos from: me) 

Mac and Cheese with Diced Jalapeno

By A'Dell

I frequent a small cafe in my little suburb and one of the side dishes that is ALWAYS sold out by 1 PM is the Mac and Cheese. They make it from scratch and toss in one or several toppings of your choice right before it's served. The few times I've been able to get some before it sells out? DELICIOUS. Oh, there's nothing like freshly made Mac and Cheese to soothe my soul.

My favorite mix-in is diced, raw, jalapenos. It might sound too spicy but it's not, I promise! Fresh jalapenos (not pickled) are crunchy and crisp and provide just the right amount of ZING! if you make certain to slice out the membrane and seeds (where most of the heat is.) 

I made some of my own last night with a simple cheese sauce (butter, flour, salt, pepper, milk, cheese), that took me about ten minutes to make, and some spiral pasta I found in the back of the pantry. It was AMAZING. (Way better than the blue box, and it took the same amount of time and stirring.) I added cheese on top of my cheese sauce, and this is why I'm not sharing the cheese sauce recipe I used; not cheesey enough. (Though adding cheese on top did make it juuuuuust right.)

The jalapenos were the perfect complement to sharp cheddar and I ate it all again for lunch today. FABULOUS. I think this would make a super fun thing for a party: get the pasta boiled and cheese sauce ready, then toss with custom extras for each guest. 

Who else is a Mac and Cheese connoisseur? Any other macaroni mix-ins that might change my life?

(Photo from: me)

My First Shot at Rose Sauce

By Ariel

Remember when I told you I made approximately 6.5 billion lobster raviolis? After trying them for the first time both my husband and I agreed that the raviolis themselves were good, but the red sauce I used just overpowered them to the point that we might as well be eating spaghetti. I remembered ordering lobster ravioli from a tasty Italian place near where we live and it was served with a pink sauce. It wasn't quite alfredo and it wasn't quite tomato. Basically it was right down the middle. I thought I would give it a whirl and I wasn't disappointed. I just have to warn you, this isn't for the faint of arteries.

Rose Sauce
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced (use your judgement! I LOVE garlic)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1.5 cups milk (hate to say it, but whole is best, and don't substitute almond ... trust me.)
1 Tbs. parsley
1 cup your favorite tomato sauce. (I usually have some variation of this recipe frozen and ready to go, but really any meatless sauce should work just fine.)
1 Tbs flour, use as needed for thickening

Pour the oil in a small saucepan medium low heat and saute the garlic until tender. Add the parmesan cheese and parsley until you have a sort of cheesy oily dough going on, mixing together with a whisk or fork. Add the milk slowly and turn the heat up until it starts to thicken and add flour as needed.  When it's at a saucy consistency (I'm using technical terms, of course), add the tomato sauce. It should turn out to be an orangy-salmon color.

This was a perfect compliment to a seafood-based dish. I've made it several times since then, mostly experimenting with different measurements, but this one does the trick. You can use skim milk in a pinch, but whole thickens up a little better. Like I said, not really a healthy dish, but a fantastic indulgence nonetheless.

Red sauce problem solved! Have you experimented with a new spin on an old dish lately?

Adventures in Homemade Ravioli

By Ariel

Making ravioli from scratch has been on my cooking bucket list for a long time now, but I've been too intimidated to try it out. No longer! I found my ideal tool:

I found the Norpo Ravioli Maker on Amazon.com while looking for interesting new kitchen gadgets (it's a sickness) and threw it on my wish list. A couple months later I felt like I was in a cooking rut, so I purchased it. I then forgot about it for another month or so. When Food Lush was on vacation last month I decided to try it out, and was honestly surprised at how easy it was! I think the hardest part is the dough. You can't have it too sticky, but it can't be too hard. Not to mention the rolling. And the rolling. And the rolling. Let me tell you, my biceps got a workout. Here's what I ended up deeming as the best dough mixture:

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 cup water
1-2 Tbs olive oil.

Whisk the flour and salt together and dump it out on the counter, forming a hill. Make a little well in the middle of the mound of flour and start adding the eggs. 

After you add all the eggs, start breaking the yolks gently. Use a fork if you want, but your hands are going to get dirty eventually, so why forestall the inevitable? Now that you have a sticky mess, start adding water and oil to make a dough. Do not use more than a cup of water, this was my first problem. The dough will be very firm, and if you're like me (pretty inexperienced in the dough department) you're going to want to add more water. Don't do it. Suffer through the stiff dough. Once you have the dough mixed and lump-free, let it sit under a bowl for about half an hour. After that it's a matter of that massive amount of rolling I was telling you about. This strenuous exercises could probably be avoided with a pasta maker, but I haven't invested in one (yet).  

After the rolling, it's fairly simple. Cut out the width and length you need for your press, lay out the dough and pop in your choice of filling. I used a mixture of lobster, ricotta, romano, parmesan, green onion, and garlic.  

Lay another piece of dough over top the filling. This part is a little tricky, since air in the ravioli will do you no favors. I had the best luck with just filling the pockets as full as I could and laying down the dough like you would contact paper, bit by bit. Use a rolling pin to pinch off the sides and the middle, so you can clearly see the indents of the press.

The excess dough should just come right apart. Pop them out on a floured surface to dry. After about an hour turn them over and let them dry another hour. They should be firm, not rock hard, when you're ready to cook or freeze.

Cook for about 10 minutes until the pasta is tender! I don't think I'll ever go back to store bought, these were too good. The dough recipe above is good for 48ish raviolis, depending on how thin you manage to get the dough.  If you're using a pasta machine you'll probably get more out of it.

So, ravioli experts, did I miss anything? Any tips or tricks you've come across? Favorite fillings? Share in the comments!

Jus' Mac, Houston

By Jessica

I think we can all agree that Mac n Cheese is a universal comfort food, yes? There are recipes everywhere you look with all sorts of minor (or major) tweeks upon the classic and everyone seems to have their own go-to recipe. The phrase "blue box" has a lot of meaning for lovers of mac n cheese and no matter how laden with chemicals it is, there are folks that will always reach for blue, period. 

In Houston, we have an entire restaurant (two locations, actually) devoted to the stuff and it is the bomb, in my opinion. My husband and I went to dinner at the Heights location recently and we will be back again, although maybe a bit earlier in the day because it's a smallish place and it was quite crowded, with not a lot of parking available, truth be told, but the food was definitely worth it. 

The dishes come in two sizes: personal (1/2 lb) or regular (1 lb) and you are asked if you'd like your dish topped with toasted bread crumbs. Simply put, YOU DO. You can also choose your pasta type. 

In the picture above, my dish (the bottom) is a personal and my husband's (top) is a regular. I've read other reviews where they recommended the personal as a child's serving, I definitely would not go that far, I consider mac n cheese a rather filling dish with all the pasta and dairy so a personal size is a good choice. My husband is usually a huge eater and he was unable to finish all of his. You can always opt to add a salad, appetizer or dessert if you are concerned with portion sizes.

I chose the Goat Cheese: goat cheese sauce, roasted tomatoes, garlic, and mozzarella with whole wheat pasta topped with toasted bread grumbs and goat cheese crumbles. My husband went with the Chili Cheese: homemade chili with whole wheat pasta topped with colby jack and fritos. The entire menu of tasty options can be found here and I look forward to trying more of them in the future. 

Dinner in a Pinch: Rao's Vodka Sauce and Cut 'N Clean Kale

by Caitlin

Weeknight dinners are hard, aren't they? There's always a push-pull struggle with how much time they take, whether they're planned in advance, what's on hand, what might need to be picked up from the store. I love a meal that can be thrown together with what you have in the pantry, and with the help of Rao's, I have an easy and delicious way of doing just that. 

I'm picky about my shelf-stable, pre-fab pasta sauces. It's hard to find one that doesn't have high-fructose corn syrup or a bunch of artificial ingredients. Harder still to find one with basic, whole ingredients that actually tastes good. But never fear, Rao's to the rescue. 

 

Photo from raos.com. 

This sauce is creamy, dreamy, and tastes like it should have far more than 80 calories a serving.

There's always a box of pasta in my pantry, but those of you living without gluten may also be glad to know that it's equally delicious over polenta (I also like it over quinoa). And for my vegan friends, Rao's other variations without cheese (such as marinara, or tomato and basil) are also delicious.

There's almost always a green vegetable in my fridge, but my favorite, bar none, is a tub of trimed, chopped, pre-washed organic kale from Cut 'n Clean.

Picture from kelli-abrahamian.blogspot.com.

Sautee some garlic, throw in your ready-to-go greens, squeeze a lemon over it (ala this post):

Then toss your pasta in the Rao's, and you've got yourself a cheap, tasty, healthy weeknight meal. 

Voilà!

What's your favorite weeknight meal in a pinch?

Drunken Noodles, Take 1

By Natalie

Last week I posted about my discovery of Udon noodles. This week I experimented with Udon noodles and made drunken noodles. Did you know that they are called drunken noodles because of the amount of water you have to consume while eating them? I thought it had something to do with sake, oops!

The night that I got ready to make these noodles, I was looking over the recipe from Elly Says Opa and reading what the blogger had to say about them. I then realized that I didn't really have any of the ingredients but I decided to give it a go anyways. The results turned out fantastic!

Next time, I'm going to make it with all of the special soy sauces and chiles. There is an Asian market down the road from me. I've never been in there. It's huge, like the size of an old Target huge.

Drunken Noodles

adapted from Bon Appetit

• 1 package of Udon noodles
• 2 tbsp of canola oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 lb of chicken tenders, diced
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 tbsp of salambek olbek (this is hot for me, vary according to taste)
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of sugar

1. Cook noodles until desired firmness is reached, and drain. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in wok, and add garlic. Cook until fragrant.
3. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until mostly done.
4. Then add tomatoes and zucchini cook for 3 more minutes.
5. Whisk together salambek olbek, sugar and soy sauce. Pour over chicken.
6. Cook for a few more minutes until chicken is done.
7. Pour noodles in with chicken mixture. Stir until combined.

photo credit: me

Udon Noodles

By Natalie

I have recently discovered Udon noodles. Am I way behind on the times? You can't find them everywhere, like at say Wal-Mart. But, at Central Market there are several varieties to choose from. They almost seem a little bit like Ramen, which by the way I do not like. Ramen did not sustain me through college, unlike my brother.

Last week I made Five Spice Pork & Veggies with Udon Noodles. This recipe was very easy and really delicious.

This week I plan on making Drunken Noodles. I know I'm behind the times on this one. I've never had Drunken Noodles before. I'm excited to try them!

Do you cook with Udon noodles? What are your favorite recipes?

photo credit: me!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake

By Ariel

While browsing Pinterest the other day, I came across a couple different recipes for cheesy ranch chicken lasagna.  The ranch/chicken combo reminded me of my favorite kind of pizza I would get in my hometown growing up from a local pizza shop, the chicken bacon ranch pizza.  I thought that if I combined the idea of the pizza and the lasagna I would achieve casserole nirvana, and I do believe I did.

 

t I consider this a kitchen experiment success story.  As my husband (and resident Guinna pig) isn't home from work yet, you'll just have to take my word for it.  The bacon!  The cheese! The ranch!  It all comes together in delicious matrimony.    

Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake

1/2 lb. Bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cut into 1/2-1 in. pieces
1 lb. Penne Pasta, cooked and drained
4 Tbs. Butter
1 Can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cups Milk
6 Cloves Garlic 
1 small onion, diced
2 C. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Divided
3 C. Cheddar Cheese (reserve one cup) 
1 1/2 C. Ranch Dressing
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
1/2 Tbs. Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tomatoes, diced. 

Mix the butter, milk, onion, garlic, ranch, soup, and seasonings together in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat.  Once the sauce is warm, start adding one cup of the Mozzarella and two cups of the cheddar slowly.  If the cheese seems to be a little too firm then up the heat a bit, just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn.  Once everything is combined, stir on medium for another five minutes.  Add the bacon and the chicken.  In a large mixing bowl combine the penne, sauce, and tomatoes.  Bake in a greased lasagna dish on 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the cheese on the top browns and the bake starts to bubble.

It's a demonstration of my dedication to you that I stopped to take a picture before inhaling this.  It was just the right flavor I was looking for from my favorite pizza and made for a great casserole.  Next time I'll probably add a few cups of fresh baby spinach to at least pretend it's somewhat healthy and to give it a bit more color.

Anyone else have a recent kitchen success story?  Tell me about it (or link me to it!) in the comments!

 

Cajun Chicken Pasta

By Natalie

Many moons ago, I would make Cajun Chicken pasta. One of the ladies in the teacher's lounge told me about it, and it sounded really easy. And who doesn't need an easy recipe in their repertoire?

Original Recipe

• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 jar of Alfredo sauce (I prefer Bertolli's)
• 1 pound of pasta noodles
• 1/2 lb of chicken tenders
• Tony Chachere's seasoning (This is what makes is "Cajun")
• Shredded Parmesan

1. Add some salt, pepper, and Chachere's to chicken. Then saute chicken in a pan.
2. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil. Add noodles, and cook until tender.
3. In a small sauce pan, add the tomato sauce and alfredo sauce. Add Chachere's to taste. Bring to a boil, add the chicken. Simmer about 5 minutes. 
4. Sprinkle Parmesan on top

Easy, right? Well this time I made it I took it to a whole new level by making home-made Alfredo sauce. This alfredo sauce is easy to make too, and simply divine. Up next, I'm going to make Tuscan Pasta with Tomato Basil Cream and use the home-made Alfredo sauce.