Orzo with Andouille, Roma Tomatoes and Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Good evening, my loyal readers!

The weather in Kansas is not my ideal Spring weather!  I am, however, thankful that we have dodged all of that awful severe weather the south, southeast and east of here have been receiving.  Hopefully, it will go away fast!

For dinner this evening, I made orzo with andouille, roma tomatoes and roasted red bell peppers.  This is another recipe that is slightly adapted from its original version. 

Orzo is a pasta that is shaped like rice, and people often mistake it for rice.  For instance, when I went to purchase the orzo from Whole Foods (from the bulk bins) during my weekly grocery shopping outing, the cashier asked what I was making with the rice.  I informed her that it was orzo and not rice.  :)

I found this recipe in Giada's Kitchen:  New Italian Favorites by Giada de Laurentiis, and the recipe is called "Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes".  There is also an online version found on the Food Network site: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/orzo-with-sausage-peppers-and-tomatoes-recipe/index.html.  These two, however, differ from each other.

I went by the book version and adapted it a little bit to fit my tastes.  I will just tell you what I did according to the online version, with book version comments inserted.

*Instead of the two bell peppers (red and orange), I used two jarred roasted red bell peppers (the same as the book), so you can skip pretty much all of the first paragraph, except cutting the peppers in 1/4" strips.  You can roast your own peppers if you feel the need to; I just didn't have the patience for it this evening.
*I used low-sodium chicken broth, not stock.  The book version calls for broth as well.
*I used Andouille (instead of Italian turkey sausage) and used five large links with the casings removed.  Both the online version and the book version call for Italian turkey sausage.
*I used three cloves of garlic (online and book call for one).
*Instead of plum tomatoes, I used three Roma tomatoes (online and book call for plum).
*I didn't include the parsley (it's an unnecessary fresh herb).
*I didn't use Ricotta; I used Parmesan.  The book calls for Parm as well.
*I didn't end up needing the 1/2 cup of reserved cooking liquid.  I would still save it, just in case.
*The rest of the recipe is pretty much the same as the book version.  :)

I am not a big fan of Italian sausage, so that's why I chose to use Andouille.  I think the dish turned out very well, and I highly recommend trying it!

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic and White Beans

Hi, everyone, on this cool day!  When are the summer temps coming?!?!

Anyway, I made penne with roasted tomatoes, garlic and white beans for dinner this evening.  It is from the book The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger, but the recipe is also available on the Food Network website:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/penne-with-roasted-tomatoes-garlic-and-white-beans-recipe/index.html. 

I am trying to eat healthier, and this recipe looked delicious.  What's cool about the cookbook itself is that all of the nutritional facts are available for each recipe.  I find that very helpful, especially in my quest to maintain a healthier lifestyle. 

In addition, I love garlic (it wards off the vampies), and I love beans.  I like cooked tomatoes, but I am not a fan of raw tomatoes.

My variations with the recipe:

I doubled the following ingredients:
*Garlic
*Olive Oil (nearly doubled)
*Salt (I used fine sea salt)
*LOTS of pepper
*Beans
*Penne (I used whole grain)
*Basil

Other variations:
*I used 2.75 lbs. of Roma tomatoes (cut into quarters and de-seeded)
*I used the juice and zest of three lemons
*I left out the Parmesan cheese
*With the garlic, I peeled and smashed each clove and then discarded them after the tomatoes were done.

It was very YUM-O!!!

Gruyere & Extra Sharp White Cheddar Mac 'N Cheese

Who doesn't love macaroni and cheese?  I guess the people that don't like cheese, but still.  Macaroni and cheese is not a dish for anyone that is on a diet (obviously), but it is SOOOO worth it!

This dish is slightly adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe called Macaroni and Cheese with Ham:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/macaroni-and-cheese-with-ham-recipe/index.html. 

My variations:

*Instead of cavatappi, I used what looks like a stretched fusilli (the corkscrew pasta).  I cannot remember the name of it (because I have the memory of a squirrel), but it looks like a stretched corkscrew.  The recipe says you can use any short cut pasta, so penne is another good substitute. 
*I used chicken broth instead of chicken stock because mainly because broth is cheaper....
*I used extra sharp white cheddar cheese (instead of just sharp).
*I did not include the ham

It is a pretty simple recipe to make, and the mustard makes it awesome.

White Balsamic and Lemon Rainbow Chard

Rainbow chard is a lovely green that cooks way down as you saute it or whatever you may choose to do with it.  Tonight, I sauteed it and added white balsamic vinegar and lemon juice close to the end.  If you aren't a fan of greens (and I wasn't for the longest time), then this is a good one to start with.

Recipe:

Two bunches Rainbow chard
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Fine sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
Juice of one large lemon (or two small lemons)

Rinse the chard under cold water and shake until almost all of the water is off.

Take each leaf of the rainbow chard and wipe the stem clean with a damp cloth or paper towel.  Cut off the bottom inch of the stem and discard.  Cut the rest of the stem in approximately 3/4"-1" pieces up to the leaf.   Now roll up the leaf by folding it in half along the stem and rolling it.  Cut the leaf in one inch pieces and set aside.  Repeat with all of the leaves.

In a skillet (I used cast iron), heat the olive oil and the red pepper flakes on medium.  Once the oil is heated, put the chopped chard in and let it saute until it starts to wilt.  Turn the chard every two-three minutes with tongs to help it all wilt.  Put in some salt and pepper to taste.

Once the chard is wilted down, pour in the balsamic vinegar and the lemon juice and stir.  Turn the heat down to medium low and let the chard continue cooking for an additional five minutes.  Turn the heat off and enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

Good evening.

Tonight, I made baked spaghetti.  It is the same ingredients as the March 21st post called "Turkey Spaghetti", except I used ground chicken instead of ground turkey, but feel free to use whatever protein you want.

Follow all of the same steps except cook and drain the noodles about 2 minutes shy of being done because they will continue cooking in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put some sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish and spread it to cover the bottom.  Then layer half of the noodles on top, layer on some additional sauce (enough to cover the noodles) and sprinkle on some shredded mozzarella. 

Repeat by adding the rest of the noodles, the rest of the sauce and some additional cheese (enough to cover the sauce). 

It's like lasagna, but with spaghetti noodles.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Feel free to turn the broiler on to brown the the cheesy top if it isn't as brown as you'd like it to be.

Let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it up.

Serve with some garlic bread and a side salad!

Brioche French Toast

Good evening, everyone.

Tonight, I made French toast with brioche.  You can really use any bread you want.  I've made French toast countless times, and I have used Texas toast, Panettone, regular bread, etc. 

I bought a full loaf of Brioche and cut it into twelve pieces, so the pieces are a little thick. 

For the custard, I cracked 8 eggs and whisked them up.  Then I added about 1/2 cup of Half-and-Half, as well as 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 20 grates of fresh nutmeg.  Whisk that all up again and set aside.

In a non-stick skillet on medium heat, melt 2 tsp butter.  Then dip one slice of bread in the custard, coating both sides, and put the bread in the skillet.  Add another slice of coated bread and let both slices brown on one side, then flip each slice over and let it brown on the other side.

As slices are done, put them on an over-proof plate of some sort and put the plate in the oven, which should be preheated to the lowest setting available, usually 170 degrees.

Add additional butter to the skillet.  Repeat the coating and browning with each remaining slice and add finished slices to the oven.

I served mine topped with some slices strawberries, some blackberries and some blueberries.