Tag: thyme
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
This was delicious risotto, especially since I served it with my world famous braised short ribs! I would recommend this for the holidays. People will be very impressed with this dish. It is quite easy to make, especially since you can make the puree a day ahead.
Butternut Squash Puree
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the squash to a lined cookie sheet. Add the oil, honey, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or till the squash is tender to the touch. Process till smooth in a processor. Take out and keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup butternut squash puree
- 4 to 6 cups chicken stock, hot
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
Add the oil and butter into a medium saucepan and sauté the shallots until translucent and soft. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with oil and butter and gets translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add white wine and stir over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed. Add the butternut squash puree, stir to combine. Add the chicken stock in ½ cup increments. Allow the stock to absorb while stirring. Repeat this process with each addition of stock. Add enough stock so that the rice is cooked al dente and slightly creamy. Stir in the cheese and salt. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with braised short ribs or any other protein.
Mediterranean Meatballs
Here is another delicious recipe for one of our favorite things to eat. I am afraid, I will be running out of ideas soon for making different kinds meatballs. I realize I can use different kinds of meats, etc but I do love using turkey meat as it is so healthy to eat, especially since I am trying to reduce the amounts of red meat I feed my family.
This particular one has a mixture of sundried tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts and basil. The mixture adds a delicious flavor to the meatballs as well as the sauce. The trick to soft meatballs is the panko breadcrumbs soaked in milk. The meatballs come out melting in the mouth. The sauce is made with fresh cherry tomatoes- super simple to make and the most delicious as well.
Overall, it is a fabulous meal to make. I also made a warm spinach salad and served red wine with dinner- yum!!
- 1 pound ground turkey (dark meat)
- 4 to 5 sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup basil, chopped
Add the shallot, garlic, into a food processor and process till smooth. Add the sundried tomatoes and basil. Process till smooth and take out into a medium bowl with the turkey.
- ½ cup panko crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 15 minutes.
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons salt
Add the soaked breadcrumbs, egg and salt into the turkey mixture. Mix with both hands. Keep aside.
Marinara Sauce
- 1 can (28 oz) cherry tomatoes (or any other)- put through the food mill
- 1 small yellow onion, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- A pinch of sugar
Heat a heavy, wide saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, thyme, basil, salt and sugar. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for at least 20 minutes.
In the meantime form meatballs (the mixture makes about 14 meatballs). Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce as you form them. Once all the meatballs are in the saucepan, simmer covered for 15 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve with spaghetti.
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons salt
Once the pasta is done, drain it well and place it back into the pan. Add the oil, basil and salt. Mix well and keep ready for the meatballs.
Serve the meatballs on top of the seasoned spaghetti.
Pancetta and Balsamic Roast Chicken
This is a delicious way to make a one pot meal. It all goes into a big roasting pan and you are done! I started with leg quarters- if I am not roasting a whole chicken, I like to cook leg quarters. Dark meat has a lot of flavor and is very forgiving as it doesn’t over cook.
When using very few ingredients, it is important to use very bold flavors. In this case, I used garlic, pancetta and balsamic glaze. I cooked the pancetta and then mixed it with the garlic, thyme and the glaze. I then slathered the chicken with the yummy mixture and roasted it.
To make things more interesting, I lined the roasting pan with slices of delicious sour dough bread and some potatoes. The potatoes and the bread come out deliciously crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I especially love the bread- all the flavors absorb really well.
I served this delicious meal with a green salad and a delicious glass of red wine. I love simple, delicious food with very good quality ingredients!
- 4 leg quarters with skin
- 6 to 8 slices of sour dough bread
- 4 to 5 small potatoes, peeled and cut in half
- Salt
Marinade
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Cook the pancetta in a hot frying pan until the fat is rendered on medium heat- it should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and take out in a bowl.
Pound the garlic, salt and thyme in a mortar and pestle till smooth. Add the olive oil and balsamic glaze. Mix well and add to the cooked pancetta. Mix well and keep aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the bread slices in a medium, lined baking sheet (9X13). Smear some of the marinade on the bread. Add the chicken quarters and the potatoes. Rub the marinade all over covering all the surfaces. Sprinkle salt generously all over. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and finish roasting till the chicken is done. Serve a piece of the chicken on top of the cooked bread with potatoes on the side.
Thyme Pecorino Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops and Arugula
I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year than with some delicious scallops. We all love scallops in our family. Especially with some delicious risotto. A lot of people are intimidated to make risotto- but one needs to have a bit of patience. The method is quite simple and the flavor combinations are limitless. I decided to add fresh thyme and Pecorino cheese in this dish. I love Pecorino for its delicious punch of flavor.
The scallops are super easy to make. All one needs is a good non-stick pan, some delicious olive oil and salt and pepper. The pan needs to be screaming hot and the scallops are done in minutes. To complete the meal, I dressed some delicious arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
The whole meal was very easy to make and didn’t take very long. Try this in the New Year…. a great start!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken broth, heated
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 cup Pecorino cheese, shredded
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil on medium heat. Add the shallots and cloves and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme and rice and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth half cup at a time, stirring constantly on medium heat. Keep repeating the process till the rice is cooked. Add the half and half and cheese. Taste for seasonings and add the salt and pepper.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 large scallops or more
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a large non-stick pan and add the oil. Saute the scallops on high and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes each (depends on the size of the scallops). Serve on top of risotto.
Arugula Salad
- 3 cups baby arugula
- Juice of half lemon
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Add a cup of tossed greens on top of the scallops and serve.
Tuscan Style Cannellini Beans and Tomato Ragu
This ragu is delicious and very easy to make. I decided to make it dried beans and soaked them overnight, but you can definitely make them with the canned variety. The dried beans give the dish a bit more depth of flavor but the canned ones are very comparable.
I started with pancetta, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. I got fresh herbs from my backyard including rosemary, thyme and sage. I always buy San Marzano tomatoes which are special ones grown in Italy and have an amazing flavor. Some white wine and chicken broth later, I had a start to a very delicious stew. I let it cook for a couple of hours. The good thing about this dish is you can make it in advance. In fact it will taste better the next day as all the flavors will have a chance to marry.
Make this ragu with the lamb roast and have a wonderful holiday.
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Couscous with Roasted Cauliflower
I made this couscous dish with grilled chicken. I added some roasted cauliflower and tomatoes to the quick cooking starch. I drizzled some olive oil on the cauliflower and tomatoes and I cooked them in oven until the florets were golden brown and the tomatoes soft.
Making the couscous is super simple. I make mine with chicken broth and buy the whole wheat variety from Trader Joes.
The rest was simple, I added the veggies to the cooked couscous. I made extra for the next day… I served the delicious side dish with the fish with romesco sauce. It was a delicious combination…
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Roasted Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta with Pecorino & Thyme Breadcrumbs
I decided to go with the pasta theme from yesterday and post this delicious dish. As a lot of you know, I work with cauliflower a lot- mostly in Indian dishes. I decided to make a change and use the veggie in another cuisine.. how about pasta, I thought??? Well, why not?
I decided to roast cauliflower florets in a hot oven to bring out the nutty, sweetness. I then took off the casings off some delicious chicken sausages and sautéed them with garlic, shallots, white wine and diced tomatoes. The mixture made a delicious sauce- especially after I added some leftover pasta water to it… it thickens the sauce and makes it yummier.
If that was not enough- I decided to add a topping. I slow cooked a delicious combination of garlic, breadcrumbs, thyme and Romano cheese. The topping gives a delicious crunch and flavor to the pasta dish.
This is a great option for a quick, healthy weeknight meal.. try this with a delicious salad and a glass of wine.
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