White Bean Soup

This is a recipe I decided to make today so I could use up some spinach, so don't look to closely and notice I forgot the spinach. It is only coincidence that my brother Bob asked that I post a bean recipe on the day I make bean soup. Everybody knows if he would have asked for it before I decided to make it I never would have made it, that's what brothers are for. I am submitting this soup to Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen. Watch for it there along with many other delicious soups.

White Bean Soup

1 tbs olive oil
1 cup carrots, cut into coins
1 cup celery, cut into 1/2 moons
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 15 oz can white beans
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 oz spinach, chopped
Optional
2 turkey sausages, removed from cases and broken up into small pieces
1 zucchini or yellow squash, diced

Add olive oil to a dutch oven or other deep heavy pot heated to medium high. Then add carrots, celery, zucchini or squash if using and onion heat until onions are transparent. Add sausage if using and cook until browned. Now add beans, tomatoes and garlic let this cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and bring to boil. Turn down to low and add spinach. Let soup simmer until ready to serve.

Lobster Ravioli with Champagne Sauce

For New Years Eve my wife wanted lobster tails and scallops. The local grocery had a good deal on small lobster tails, so I bought 3 of them. Turns out that my daughter wasn't going to be home. What do you do with an extra lobster tail. I turned it into a ravioli stuffing, worthy of the celebrating the New Year. The Sauce is loosely based on a recipe by Pam Anderson's, no not the one from Bay Watch, The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great. This recipe will serve 4 people.

Lobster Ravioli with Champagne Sauce


For the Ravioli:
4 oz Lobster Tail, cooked & cut into small pieces
4 Shrimp, cooked & cut into small pieces
1/4 c Ricotta Cheese
1 chive, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp dried herbs, I used basil and parsley
6 egg roll wrappers, cut in 1/2 this will make 12 ravioli
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp water

For the Sauce:
1/4 Cup chicken broth
1/4 Cup Champagne
1/2 Cup 2% Evaporated Milk
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tbs butter
1 1/2 tbs all purpose flour
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
3/4 -1 tsp dried herbs, I used Parsley, Basil & Oregano
Water from the Ravioli

To Make the Ravioli:
Mix first 5 Ravioli ingredients together and let flavors meld for 15 minutes. Crack egg in small bowl, add water and whisk. Then take 1/2 of egg roll sheet (mine were 6 x 6 inches, so I had 3x3 inch raviolis) and spread outer edge of 1 side with egg wash. Put about 1 tsp - 1 1/2 tsp of mixture in center of ravioli and fold top 1/2 over that. Press edges tightly together until they are sealed. You should start pressing at the center and work your way out toward the edge forcing any air pockets out of the ravioli. The biggest mistake people make when doing this is putting to much mixture in the center, so they don't get a good seal and then the mixture will leak out or rip. Add ravioli to a large pot of boiling water that is well salted. When the ravioli float to the top they are done, about 5 minutes.

To Make the Sauce:
In a large bowl mix first 4 ingredients. Put in microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes, until steamy but not full boil. Set aside and let this cool a little. In a high sided pot or pan add butter, when it melts add the flour and whisk until butter is absorbed. Add the liquids and constantly whisk until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the Parmesan and herbs and some salt and pepper. Let simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. If this is to thick add some pasta water to thin, add just a little at a time until it is at desired thickness. You will probably want it a little thinner then in the pictures here, sometimes you get interrupted while cooking and the sauce thickens back up. :-) But it was still delicious.

Cioppino

This is a recipe I got from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Steve and Liz. This is so simple but so good I am sure it will become a favorite. Fantastic with a good bootle of wine and some crusty bread. I think I convinced my family this should be our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, easy to make before or after church, fast and delicious. Plus it fits in with the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Cioppino

1/4 cup green pepper, diced
2 tbs onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 tbs fresh parsley, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 lb firm white fish, I used Tilappia
1 lb mixed seafood, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, etc.

Saute peppers, onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes, wines and herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add thicker fish and seafood, let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the smaller pieces of seafood and let them simmer for 5 minutes or until all of the seafood is cooked.

Curried Vegetables Over Couscous

Here is a fast and easy weeknight dinner.

Curried Vegetables served over Whole Grain Couscous

1 tbs olive oil
8 oz cauliflower crowns
4 oz button mushrooms, sliced into 2 or 4 pieces depending on size
1/2 red pepper, cut into small dice
1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 moons
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 moons
1 can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbs curry powder, more or less according to your preference
1/2 cup couscous

Heat olive oil in pan. When pan is hot add cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms. Cook until they start getting browned. Add the red pepper, squash and zucchini, cook for 2 minutes then add Chickpeas, tomatoes and curry powder. While veggies are cooking make couscous. When Cauliflower is cooked you can server over the couscous.

Bistecca alla Pizzaiola

Steak prepared in the pizza style. This was a clean the refrigerator out, because we have to many leftovers and it is time to start baking for Christmas, dinner. It was pretty good but I had to much sauce and the pieces of steak disappear in the photos.

Bistecca alla Pizzaiola

For Steak:
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz steak, I used London Broil, cut into very thin pieces (cut while still a little frozen to get the thinnest pieces)

For Sauce:
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbs onion, diced
1/2 pepper, diced (I had mini peppers so I used 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange)
4 oz mushrooms, sliced thin
1 14oz can of crushed tomatoes

Heat pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil when pan is hot, then add garlic to pan. After about 30 seconds add the steak slices. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove steak and set aside, throw away garlic.

Add additional olive oil to pan. when oil gets hot add onions and cook for a minute or 2. Then peppers and mushrooms cook until mushrooms start to brown. Add the tomatoes and turn heat down to medium. Put the steak slices back in pan. Cook until steak is warmed through.

I served this over a bed of polenta.

Salmon with Mixed Pepper and Tomato Salad

Here is a dish that I invented this weekend when I looked in the fridge and saw a couple of peppers, a handful of cherry tomatoes and the salmon my wife said she wanted for dinner. Simple, but very flavorful.

Salmon with Mixed Pepper and Tomato Salad

For the salmon:
1/2 pound of salmon
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 roasted red pepper, diced
1/4 roasted yellow pepper, diced
1 tbs olive oil

Heat a nonstick pan to medium high heat. Cover Salmon in olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat in pan until salmon gets crisp on edges then flip salmon over and heat for another minute or 2 until cooked to your desired doneness. Remove salmon from pan and set aside.

Add olive oil, tomatoes and peppers to pan. Cook until the peppers and tomatoes are heated through.

I made brown rice with this. I put brown rice in 4 oz ramekin and then inverted ramekin onto center of plate. When you lift it you will have a nice hill of rice in center of plate. Cut salmon in 1/2 and put 1 piece on the pile of rice, do this for each plate. Then spoon the tomato pepper mixture over the salmon.

Baked Penne and Cheese

One of those rainy cool days and I was in the mood for some comfort food. My wife and I decided on macaroni and cheese with a good crispy topping. I got this recipe from EatingWell, but this is the highest fat and calorie recipe I have ever seen from them.

Baked Penne and Cheese

3 tbs breadcrumbs
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tbs all purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1//4 tsp salt
8 ounces whole wheat penne or macaroni

Preparation: Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Coat an 8 inch square (2 Quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl.

Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup of milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Add milk/flour mixture to milk, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cottage cheese and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the Cheddar cheese until melted. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in boiling water for 4 or 5 minutes, until almost tender. The pasta will bake some more in the oven. Drain and add to the cheese and mix well. Pour the pasta into the baking dish and spread out so it is even. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs.

Bake the pasta until it is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

They say this serves 4, we got about 6 servings out of it.