500 posts tagged “meals”

Pesto Tortellini

Serves 2

1 12 oz package of meat tortellini

6-7 mushrooms

3/4 cup frozen peas

Handful of grape tomatoes

3 tablespoons of pesto

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Cook homemade pesto if desired. Refrigerate. In pot, make meat tortellini as directed. Add salt. Drain over colander. In small saucepan, heat olive oil. Add chopped mushrooms and peas. Add water. Saute mushrooms and peas for approximately 5 minutes. In bowl, toss tortellini. Add in pesto and toss. Add sauteed mushrooms and pease. Add sugar. Toss in tomatoes, and serve warm.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 8-10

7 ounces (1-3/4 cups) uncooked macaroni
1 pound sharp cheese, grated
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
Paprika

Cook macaroni until tender, place in a strainer, and rinse with cold water.  In a 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of macaroni and cheese, ending with cheese.  Bring milk to a boil.  Stir in butter, egg, salt and pepper.  Pour over the macaroni and cheese.  Sprinkle paprika on top.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Vineyard Chicken
Serves 4

1 3-pound chicken, quartered
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup minced parsley

Place chicken, skin side down, in large casserole.  Blend all other ingredients together and pour over the chicken.  Cover with foil and bake 1 hour in 325 degree oven.  Remove the foil.  Turn chicken skin side up; increase temperature to 375 degrees and bake 30 minutes, basting two or three times.  Increase temperature to 425 degrees for the last 30 minutes of baking time.  Baste frequently (total cooking time is 2 hours).

Grilled Seafood Ceviche

½ pound large peeled shrimp
½ pound bay scallops
½ pound baby octopus
Olive oil
3/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus several lime slices for garnish
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
3/4 cup ketchup (or half each ketchup and chili sauce)
1 to 2 tablespoons bottled hot sauce
2-3 tablespoons olive oil (optional, but recommended to smooth out sharpness)
¾ cup diced peeled cucumber
¾ cup diced jicama
2 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon

Marinate the seafood in olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic for 30 minutes or longer. Grill the shrimp, scallops and octopus on a gas or charcoal grill. Do not overcook.

Cut the cooked shrimp and baby octopus into 1” pieces and quarter the cooked scallops. Place the seafood in a gallon size plastic storage bag. Toss with the lime juice and refrigerate to chill.

In a strainer, rinse the onion under cold water and then shake off the excess liquid.

Add the seafood to a ceramic or non-aluminum bowl, along with the cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, olive oil, cucumber, jícama and avocado. Taste and season with salt. Cover and refrigerate, but if not serving immediately, prepare and add the avocado shortly before serving.

Spoon the ceviche into margarita glasses or small bowls; garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of lime. Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips.

Meat & Potatoes Burger
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
Yields 4 servings

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream or half and half
Salt and pepper
2 pounds lean ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 small onion, grated
4 poppy seed Kaiser rolls
A couple of tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 bunches watercress, cleaned and trimmed of thick stems

Place the potatoes in a sauce pot and cover by one inch with water. Place it over high heat and bring up to a bubble. Add some salt and boil the potatoes until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot and let them sit for a minute to dry out. Add the butter and the cream and a little more salt and some pepper. Using a fork or potato masher, mash them until desired consistency.

Once you have to potatoes going, put the burgers together: In a bowl, combine the sirloin, Worcestershire, parsley, grated onion, salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Score an X with the side of your hand to form 4 equal portions. Make the patties about one-inch thick and press a light indentation in the center of each one to prevent the burgers from bulging and promote more even cooking. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Once you see the oil ripple, add the patties and cook on each side for 5-6 minutes, until they reach desired doneness. While the burgers are working, split the buns and toast them until golden in the toaster or under the broiler.

To build your burger, slather the buns with Dijon mustard and top the bottom buns with some watercress. On top of the greens, stack a burger patty then some of the mashed potatoes and the bun top.

Spring Salad
Yields 6-8 servings

1 bunch of asparagus
1 English cucumber, cut into half moons
8 large radishes, cut into thin rounds
Juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

In a skillet with a cover, bring 1 inch of water to a boil to cook the asparagus. Add a generous amount of salt to the skillet with the boiling water. Hold the asparagus spears at each end. Snap asparagus tips from the tough ends by bending the spears. Use that as a guide as to where to cut the remaining spears. Simmer the asparagus spears for 3-5 minutes, until just tender. Drain the asparagus and run under cold water. Cut into one-inch pieces on an angle. Place asparagus in a serving bowl with the cucumber and radishes. Squeeze lemon juice over the salad, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Green Olive Couscous
Yields 6-8 servings
Good to serve with lamb

3 cups chicken stock
3 cups couscous
3/4 cup green olives, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the chicken stock in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat with a tight-fitting lid. When the liquid boils, add the couscous and give it a stir. Put the lid back on the pot, remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the olives, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fluff with a fork.

Lamb with Roasted Tomato Gravy
Yields 6 to 8 servings

1 small, boneless leg of lamb, about 5 pounds, butterflied
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch mint, stripped from the stem and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Pre-heat an oven to 400°F. Place the half bunch of stemmed and finely chopped mint in the middle of the splayed-out lamb. Place the garlic in among the mint leaves then fold the lamb over so that the mint and garlic are almost entirely cocooned in the lamb. Place the lamb in a shallow baking pan on a roasting rack and drizzle evenly with olive oil. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute.

Place the grape tomatoes on a small cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and transfer to the oven when the lamb is about halfway done. If you roast them for 10 minutes, they will burst and be ready to serve. But if you prefer to let them brown up more, you can leave them in the oven for 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and using a potato masher or a fork, lightly mash the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes are in the oven, preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and continue to cook for another minute. Add the white wine and chicken broth. Let the liquids reduce until a slightly thickened sauce forms, about 5 minutes. Add the mashed tomatoes to the sauce along with the parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reserve. Slice and serve the lamb with the gravy.

Provencal Tuna Melt
Yields 4 servings

4 cans of tuna in water, drained and flaked
5 to 6 sprigs tarragon, stripped from the stem and chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
12 black or green pitted olives, about a handful, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 French baguette, cut into 4 sections and split on top
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat the broiler. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the tuna, tarragon, basil, parsley, olives, shallots and capers. Squeeze the lemon over the bowl, being careful not to get any of the seeds in. Drizzle in the olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine. Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating, brush the baguettes with the melted butter. Toast in the skillet until golden brown. Fill the baguettes with the tuna salad. Top with gruyere cheese and pop under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with carrot and celery sticks, and healthy potato chips alongside.

Flaked Salmon Tartare
Serves 6

1 large egg
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for garnish
Dash of hot sauce
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped drained capers
3 cornichons, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Place egg in a small saucepan, and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove egg, and rinse under cold water until cool. Gently press against a hard surface to crack shell; peel. Cut egg in half lengthwise. Grate each half on the small holes of a grater into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon in a 13-by-9-inch nonreactive baking dish. Brush with 1 teaspoon oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil; bake until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily, about 15 minutes. Uncover partially, and let cool slightly in dish on a wire rack. Using a fork, gently flake salmon into large pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.

Whisk together lemon juice, hot sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, whisking until emulsified. Drizzle dressing over salmon, and toss gently. Divide among plates. Scatter shallot, capers, cornichons, chives, parsley, and egg over each, dividing evenly; season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.