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Tag: parsley

Turkish Style Kebabs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground sumac
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 small yellow onion, grated
  • 2 inch piece of ginger, grated
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup mint, chopped

Transfer all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, mix well and let sit for 2 to 3 hours. Form about 12 sausage shaped kebabs and then insert a skewer through each and grill till done. Serve in warm pita with some greens like arugula topped with the harissa sauce.

Harissa Sauce

  • 1 cup full fat yogurt
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup mint, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sumac
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Mix everything in a small bowl, taste for seasonings and serve over the kebabs.

Roasted Tomato and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta

  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Transfer the tomatoes to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the salt and mix well. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Put the tomatoes through a food mill or a blender. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ pound rigatoni, cooked with ½ cup pasta water to spare
  • Salt
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the roasted tomato sauce, cooked pasta and the pasta water. Mix well, season according to taste and garnish with parsley.

Brown Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Currants

I’ve almost stopped cooking white rice… I am able to transform brown rice into so many different dishes, that I don’t end up missing white rice. Try this one and you will be surprised!

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups brown rice, rinsed
  • 2 cups water

Heat a heavy saucepan with the butter, add the rice and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil and cook on a low medium heat with the lid mostly on the pan for 10 minutes or till the water has cooked off from the surface. Cover with lid and lower the heat to a very low and continue cooking for at least 20 minutes or till the rice is cooked through. Fluff the rice with a fork and let it cool.

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 to 5 green onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup currants
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • Salt

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the green onions, garlic and cumin and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the almonds and currants and sauté for a minute. Add the cooled rice and sauté on medium heat. Add salt, parsley and mint. Mix well and taste for seasonings. Serve warm.

 

Vegetable Lasagna

This is a great way to get some veggies into your kids. They may not notice all the greens while they enjoy the yummy noodles, cheese and sauce. Eliminate the pancetta if you want to keep it vegetarian. If not then it is great way to infuse some great flavor without adding a lot of meat.

  • 9 to 12 lasagna noodles
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup pancetta, chopped (eliminate if making vegetarian)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 10 ounces Shiitaki mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 cups mixed greens (I used a combination of kale, green cabbage, red cabbage & Brussels sprouts), shredded
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 3 cups fresh tomato sauce, preferable homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the lasagna noodles until they are soft and pliable, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the pasta and lay flat on a sheet tray to cool.

Add olive oil and pancetta to a large frying pan. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the greens and cook for another 5 minutes until they are wilted. Check for seasonings and turn heat off and let cool.

In a small bowl, add the ricotta, garlic, parsley, salt, egg, and ½ cup of cheese. Mix well and keep aside.

In the bottom of a 8 by 8 baking dish, add a half cup of sauce. Spread evenly. Arrange three to four noodles to completely cover the sauce. Spread ½ of the ricotta mixture over the pasta. Add ½ of the mushroom mixture and spread evenly. Repeat with noodles, sauce, ricotta and mixture. Finally add the last batch of noodles and cover with sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and all of mozzarella on top. Cover with foil. Place the lasagna on a baking sheet and bake in oven for an hour 15 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

 

 

 

 

Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin- My Version

My take on Julia Child’s classic… try it…

  • 2-3 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skin removed
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/3 cup bacon, cut into a small dice
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 (10 oz) packs of cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup cognac
  • 2 cups red wine (pinot noir, zinfandel- any light red wine)
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large Dutch oven with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the bacon bits and sauté on medium heat till the bits are golden brown. Take the bacon out and keep aside. Add the chicken pieces in two batches and brown on both side, sprinkling salt and pepper. Take the chicken pieces out and keep aside.
Reheat the pan and add one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat till they are golden brown- about 7 to 8 minutes. Take the mushrooms out and keep aside. Add the onions and garlic. Saute on medium high heat till the onions are soft and translucent- about 3-4 minutes. Add the fresh thyme and tomato paste. Saute for a minute and add the cognac. Scrape all the bits off the bottom and mix for 30 seconds and add the red wine and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil on high heat and add the chicken pieces. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Take out the two breast pieces after about 20 minutes and keep aside. Continue to cook the rest for another 30 minutes. Take out the chicken pieces with the breast pieces. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to about 2½ cups. In the meantime add the flour and oil to a small bowl. Mix well and add to the simmering sauce, whisking it in to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil. Taste for seasonings and add salt if needed. Add the mushrooms and chicken pieces. Top with the bacon bits and chopped parsley.
Serve on top of toasted baguette slices rubbed with fresh garlic. Serve with the same red wine you used for the sauce.

Baked Sausage and Mushroom Pasta

Another one pot meal one can whip up in no time. I played around with marsala wine in this dish to give an extra yummy flavor… really good!

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 to 5 sausage links, casings removed and crumbled (I used with roasted garlic)
  • 1 10 ounce pack Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • Salt
  • ¼ cup Marsala wine
  • 2 cups fresh tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
  • ½ pound penne, cooked a bit less than al dente
  • ½ cup fresh full fat ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided in half
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and cook on a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt and Marsala wine. Stir well and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and add the cooked pasta, ricotta cheese and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Mix well, turn heat off and check for seasonings. Add parsley, mix well and transfer to an oven-proof dish. Top with the remaining grated cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the broil function on and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and serve.

Mushroom and Spinach Meatless Balls

This is a great dish for Meatless Monday or really any other day you want to eat healthy… try it for a get together.. no one will guess this is meat free

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 pound Cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • Salt
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 10 ounces spinach, chopped
  • ½ cup quick cooking oats
  • ½ cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten

 

  • 4 cups fresh or store bought pasta sauce

Heat a skillet with the olive oil and butter. Add the mushrooms and some salt and cook over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a minute or 2. Add the spinach and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or till all the spinach is wilted and cooked. Take the mixture out into a mixing bowl and let cool.

Add the oats, cheese, bread crumbs, basil and parsley. Mix well. Add the eggs and 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet.

Form mixture into balls using a small scoop. Roll the balls lightly and bake for 15 minutes. Take out and keep aside.

Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Gently add the balls and cook on a simmer for about 45 minutes. Serve with pasta.