1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
Splash of water (just so the sauce does not thicken too much)
2 eggs (if you would like more, you should add more sauce)
Pinch of dried or fresh chopped parsley
2 tsp parmesan cheese
The Carnivorous Herbivore |
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Growing up in my grandmother's Italian kitchen, my mother had this often, but never really made it for us. Eggs baked in tomato sauce is an easy breakfast, lunch or snack that is wonderful with homemade tomato sauce (or tomato gravy, as my grandmother called it!). In a pinch, however, this is also delicious with a prepared jarred sauce. I love it because it's low-carb, and, as a soon-to-be bride, I am trying to tighten my figure! You don't have to keep this low-carb, however. This is delicious with toast, baguette, roll, or any other type of bread that you can dip into the yummy sauce. I cook my eggs to the over-hard stage, but cook yours to taste. You'll need: 1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce Splash of water (just so the sauce does not thicken too much) 2 eggs (if you would like more, you should add more sauce) Pinch of dried or fresh chopped parsley 2 tsp parmesan cheese Place the tomato sauce and splash of water in a saucepan or small frying pan with a lid. Mix to combine. Set over medium heat until it boils. Lower the heat, and add the eggs. Cover. Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with the parsley and the parmesan. Cover to melt the cheese. Serve and enjoy!
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When my friend Danny suggested we try a rabbit sauce, I was skeptical. Before this, the only rabbits I've eaten were made out of chocolate. But, being an adventurous eater, I said, "let's go for it!" Buying the rabbit was a bit interesting. After shopping around, a great butcher in Astoria both defrosted ours and chopped it into the required number of pieces. Other than taking the meat off the bone, this is an easy and straightforward recipe. Yes, it is time-consuming, but it's worth it to at least try something new. I was surprised at the taste of the rabbit meat. It was definitely chicken-like, but there was a woodsy, almost sweet flavor as well that went perfectly with the sage and cinnamon--what a great Fall dish! Recipe is from the Dean & DeLuca Cookbook For 1 lb. pasta, you'll need: 1/4 cup olive oil 3/4 cup diced onion 3/4 cup diced celery 3/4 cup diced carrots 1/4 lb. bacon, also diced 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 3lb. rabbit, cut into 8 pieces 1 cup dry white wine 5 cups of chicken stock 1 cup water 2 tbs tomato paste 1 tbs chopped fresh sage 1 cinnamon stick Optional: 1/4 lb grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1) Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add bacon. Cook until bacon is soft but not crispy, five to seven minutes. Remove bacon vegetable mixture and reserve, leaving the oil and rendered bacon fat in the pot. 2) Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Rinse and dry meat and coat with the flour. Brown rabbit well, a few pieces at a time, and reserve. Drain excess fat from pan. 3) Add wine to pan and boil for two minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom. Return rabbit to pan with the vegetable mixture. Add the chicken stock, water, tomato paste, sage and cinnamon stick. Stir well. Partially cover pan, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Remove meat from pot, and, when cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones. Shred meat coarsely and return to pan. 4) Simmer uncovered for an additional 45 minutes, or until the sauce is nicely thickened and the meat is stringy and tender. Remove cinnamon stick from pot. 5) Toss with hot pasta and serve with cheese. My friend Danny and I have been using a fabulous cookbook lately: The Dean and DeLuca Cookbook. We have only made a few recipes from this book, but we are always wowed by the results as well as the wonderful flavor combinations. What drew us in to make this recipe was the fennel, the olives, and the surprising addition of orange zest. We also loved that in a sea of predictable tomato sauces loaded with cheese, this recipe has minimal tomatoes and no cheese whatsoever! This is a perfect late-summer dinner to try with friends, complete with a crisp sauvignon blanc! You'll need: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound fennel bulb, cut into thin julienne strips 2 small red onions, peeled and sliced into thin rings 4 garlic cloves, slivered 1 1/4 teaspoons Herbs de Provence 10 plum tomatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled, seeded and chopped--we used canned Two 3-inch strips orange zest removed with a vegetable peeler plus 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest Salt and pepper to taste 3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves 18 picholine olives (or other green olives), pitted and chopped 18 niçoise olives (or other black olives), pitted and chopped 2 tablespoons drained capers, packed in vinegar and brine 1 lb spaghetti (recommended. We used ziti) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Stir in the fennel, red onions, garlic, and Herbs de Provence, and cook, stirring frequently, for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft and golden brown. Stir in the tomatoes and strips of orange zest, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until tomatoes have formed a sauce. Discard the orange zest strips. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mince together the basil, parsley, olives, and capers. Toss hot pasta with the 2 teaspoons of grated orange zest, then with the fennel sauce, then with the basil olive mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy! Last Friday's Not Easy Being Green cocktail was inspired by the perfect way the peas and mint meld in this simple dish! This is a great meal for leftovers and for a weeknight, as it is simple to make; and it's a definite crowd-pleaser. Jamie Oliver came up with this recipe, and he says he makes it for his kids a lot. I used an American adaptation from the New York Times (it was just easier to measure this way). I love this recipe with a small side salad and an oaky chardonnay. Perfect to eat with friends and family, but also fancy enough for a date night in. Next time I plan to try it with pancetta and real crème fraîche. You'll need: Salt and pepper 10 slices smoked bacon or pancetta 1 pound dried mini-shell or other small pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter Freshly ground black pepper 2 cups frozen peas 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves Juice of 1 lemon 6 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese Set a large pot of lightly salted water to boil on a back burner. Meanwhile, cut sliced bacon crosswise into thin slivers. Add pasta to boiling water and cook to taste. While pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter. Add bacon or pancetta and a sprinkling of pepper, and fry until golden and crisp. Note: there was a lot of oil in the pan, so I drained some. I don't think it changed the recipe too much. Immediately add frozen peas and stir for a minute or two. Add crème fraîche or heavy cream and chopped mint. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta. Add pasta to the skillet and stir. Add lemon juice, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. The mixture should be thick; if desired, a splash of the pasta water may be added to the sauce to thin it slightly. Add Parmesan and stir to mix. Serve immediately with extra cheese on top. Enjoy! The inspiration for this dish was, yet again, Smitten Kitchen, but I had to change some things: I swapped the mozzarella cheese for pepper jack, and omitted the chives, adding fresh tomatoes and basil instead. What a win! A pizza with bacon is always welcome, and the pepper jack cheese added just the kick I was looking for. I think the basil wasn't necessary, as the flavor didn't come through as I wanted, but feel free to add it if you want. What a great brunch dish or weeknight meal! After I had cooked the bacon and discarded the fat, I realized I could have used some cooled bacon fat instead of olive oil in the pizza dough! If you try it, let me know how it comes out! For the dough, you'll need: 1 1/2 cups flour (I used 3/4 cup whole wheat) 1 tsp salt 3/4 tsp active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1 tbs olive oil or bacon fat The toppings: 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese About 5 grape tomatoes, quartered 4 eggs Salt and pepper 4 strips of bacon, cooked (but a bit underdone) 2 scallions, white and light green parts separated into two piles Few leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced Corn meal, for the baking sheet First make your dough: mix the dry ingredients thoroughly, and mix the warm water and oil in a separate bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients, slowly add the water to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Knead the dough for 15 minutes in a standing mixer, or as long as you like with your hands. Roll the dough into a ball, and lightly coat the dough and bowl with oil. Cover it with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place. Let rise for an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and re-form it into a ball. Cover, and let rise an additional 20 minutes. Toss a handful of corn meal on to a baking pan, and preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Roll or stretch the dough into a pizza shape. Place the pizza over the corn meal, and top with both cheeses and the quartered grape tomatoes. Carefully crack the eggs, one into each corner of the dough. Season the top of the eggs, and place the pizza into the oven. Bake for five minutes. Chop or crumble your bacon. Remove the pizza from the oven and turn it around. Now add the bacon and the white parts from the scallions. Return the pizza to the oven for an additional five minutes. Let the pizza rest on the stovetop for a minute or two while you add the light green parts of the scallions and the basil leaves. Slice and serve immediately. Enjoy! I recently had a lot of pesto to go through, and I thought, why not try it as a marinade? There is a part of me that feels using pesto as a marinade is a bit sacrilegious (it is meant to be served fresh), but all that raw garlic was begging to get into my chicken! I marinated overnight, then roasted. Added cooked broccoli, pasta, and more pesto, and you've got a weeknight meal that everyone will love. I love the cooked pesto mixed with the fresh--it really adds layers and depth of flavor. Perfect with some white wine and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top! What an easy crowd-pleaser! You'll need: 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb) 1 head of broccoli, floretes cut and stalk peeled and sliced 1/2 package rotini pasta 1/2 cup or more of pesto, pre-made or fresh Optional: Parmesan Cheese to serve Marinate the chicken in one third of the pesto at least an hour, or overnight. When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place your chicken in a lightly greased baking pan, and roast for about 25-30 minutes, depending on how big the breasts are. Meanwhile, set a pot of salted water on the stove to boil. When the chicken comes out of the oven, add the pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions for "al dente," adding the broccoli for the last three minutes of cooking. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, slice it into cubes. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot with the chicken and broccoli. Toss all with the rest of the pesto, and serve immediately with some extra Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy! I'd been yearning for a summery pizza, and this one took the cake. I find I over-top my pizza a lot, adding topping after topping when I'm feeling uninspired. This time, I started with a white pizza, then added summery zucchini, some garlic and basil, and topped all with a few red pepper flakes. For me, it was sparse, but it came out lovely. I have a beautiful red basil plant that I've been dying to use, and the colors are perfect with this pizza. I ate this with a side caprese salad, with more of the red basil. Perfect for a summer dinner, an appetizer for a party, or cold as a midnight snack. I'll definitely be more choosy with toppings in the future! For the dough, you'll need: 1 1/2 cups flour (I used 3/4 cups whole wheat) 1 tsp salt 3/4 tsp active dry yeast 1/2 cup lukewarm water 1 tbs olive oil 3-4 tbs ricotta cheese 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and dressed in olive oil 5 basil leaves, sliced Red pepper flakes, to taste Corn meal, for the baking sheet Start your dough about an hour and a half before you want to eat. Mix the flour, salt, and yeast, and add the water and the oil and mix just to blend. Knead the dough for as long as you like (if I'm using my mixer with the dough hook attachment, I'll set it to mix for about fifteen minutes). Roll the dough into a ball, lightly coat your bowl with oil, and roll the dough around to evenly coat it. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise for an hour. Punch the dough down and re-form into a ball. Cover the dough again with the plastic wrap, and let it rise a second time for about twenty minutes. Meanwhile, slice and prepare the toppings. When the dough is ready, place it on a clean surface, and stretch it out into a pizza shape (when I use whole wheat flour, I like to roll it out). Preheat your oven to 500 degrees, and spread some cornmeal over your baking sheet. Place the pizza on the baking sheet, and layer on the toppings. Evenly spread out the ricotta cheese, and then top with the other cheeses. Then the zucchini, the garlic (but as little of the oil as possible), and the basil. Top with your red pepper. Bake for ten minutes, or until the top is brown and bubbly. Enjoy as soon as possible (it'll be quite hot)! Deer in the backyard. While I was at my Grandpa's, my Aunt, Cousin, and her two children spent the day with us. My mom decided on this dish, a family favorite of ours, for dinner. My mom found this recipe in the Boston Globe Magazine; it was the winner of a recipe contest, so you know it's good! We ate on the back porch, and the deer ate with us. My grandpa feeds the deer, as so many people fence them out nowadays, they can't move around to get to where they can eat. This dish is super-plentiful, though! Cooking the spaghetti in chicken broth creates this delicious creamy sauce, and this one-pot-meal is perfectly well-rounded. Share this dish with family and friends, as it's a real crowd-pleaser! You'll need: 2 lbs Italian Sausage, I like a mix of spicy and sweet, halved lengthwise and sliced in 1-in pieces (or use pre-cooked chicken sausage and cook the onion first in olive oil) 1 large yellow onion, chopped 5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 lb thin spaghetti, halved or in thirds 2 10 oz bags baby spinach 1 cup half and half 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Optional: Side salad of greens, tomatoes and cucumber with balsamic vinaigrette Baguette with butter Note: This makes a lot of food. We had six adults eating this, and still had leftovers! But if you're making this for a large party, it's great to not worry about guests going hungry! Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add the sausage. Once the sausage has begun to release oil (2 minutes), add the onion and cook until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Spoon or drain off fat if needed, then add 5 cups of broth and bring to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. The spaghetti will soak up the broth as it cooks, but that is what you want. If it looks too dry, add more broth. Add the spinach and cover to wilt, in batches if you need to. Stir in the half and half and the parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce thickens. Serve with optional salad and bread. Enjoy with family! New York City is in the midst of an unbelievable heat wave right now. If you're not a lucky person who can escape the city for the summer (or at least a week!), you are suffering whenever you have to leave your apartment. Needless to say, cooking isn't really on the agenda. Ever. This dish is perfect for weather like this: the pasta starts hot, but when it touches the cool caprese salad, it becomes lukewarm as it warms the tomatoes and slightly melts the mozzarella. I love making this dish in the summer. My mom used to make it with angel hair pasta, but I love making it with rotini, and using grape or cherry tomatoes and small mozzarella balls (often called bocconcini). Per person, you'll need: 1/4 package rotini or angel hair pasta Handful grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered 5 leaves fresh basil, sliced in a chiffonade 5-6 little balls of mozzarella, quartered Olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste First, set a pot of salted water to boil on the stove. While you're waiting for the boil, slice and mix your salad, seasoning it well, and dressing lightly with olive oil. Start your pasta as soon as the water boils. Cook according to the directions for "firm." Drain your pasta well, and immediately add the salad to the hot pot with the pasta. Mix well. Serve immediately with a little extra salt and pepper on top and enjoy! Ladies and Gentleman: this is by far one of the easiest recipes I have ever come up with! I love Parmesan-anything, from chicken and eggplant, to meatball. I kept mine fast and simple by sticking to the pan-saute method without baking. I love this method of pan-sauteing pork, often with a simple salad, but this time I wanted more out of my meal. I figured the meat already has Italian-style bread crumbs, so why not add pasta, sauce and cheese and make a pork parmesan! It's perfect for a weeknight meal, or any time you're pressed for time. This meal is complete with a nice glass of red wine. You'll need: 1 lb boneless pork chops, can be thin-cut if desired Olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs 1/2 lb thin linguini 1 cup (or more) of your favorite marinara Parmesan cheese, to serve First set a large pot of salted water over high heat. When it has come to a rolling boil, add your pasta and cook according to the package directions for "al dente" style. Meanwhile, lightly coat your pork chops with olive oil, and season to taste. Gently coat the chops with the bread crumbs. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray (or lightly drizzle to coat with olive oil) and add the pork chops. Heat for three minutes, making sure the bottom is nice and brown. Flip. Heat for an additional three minutes. If your pork chops are thicker, you'll need more time. Heat your marinara in the (gasp!) microwave (this really isn't a from-scratch recipe!!). Drain your pasta and top with the pork chops, the sauce and as much parmesan as you like. Enjoy! |
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