Rosalinda Restaurant Hondureño

GROSS.

Rosalinda Restaurant Hondureño
3700 JFK Blvd
NLR

best chicken wings evah

best hot wings evah. no kidding, these hot wings are the best i’ve eaten. i kept it traditional with this super simple recipe - & you don’t need a dressing or dipping sauce ~ eat 'em as-is. literally 3 ingredients: wings, franks hot sauce & butter. be sure to buy good wings. mine came from falling sky farms stand at the saturday morning farmers market in argenta/nlr. enough wings to feed 4 or 2 hungries with some good leftovers. you’ve gotta do this. here’s how:

you’ll need

5 bags falling sky farms chicken wings (approx 5 lbs. total)
1 cup franks hot sauce (not wing sauce)
1 stick salted butter
you’ll do:

heat canola oil to 375℉ in a mini deep fryer or in a dutch oven with a thermometer.

cut wings into 3 parts. cut wing tip off & save for stock. cut chicken wing at the joint so you will have the 2 wing pieces. place on a large tray or cutting board. dry the pieces with a paper towel. salt & pepper.

gently melt the butter & hot sauce mixture stove top in a small sauce pan.

fry about 6 wings at a time. you don’t want the oil temp to drop, so, keep the batches small.

dry for 6 minutes. remove and place on a plate lined with a couple paper towels.

in a large bowl take about ¼ cup of the warm hot sauce & butter mixture, add wings & toss. the wings should absorb all the sauce in the bowl as you mix. mix well. be patient. if there is sauce left in the bowl, use less for the next batch. if any of the wings have a dry spots add more sauce - by 1 teaspoon at a time. point is, do not drown the wings, yo.

serve.

repeat.

chicken salad salad

14 second chicken salad! YUM!

14 second chicken salad. YUM. start with a whole foods rotisserie chicken. this delicious recipe literally has 4 ingredients plus some spices. do it. it’s goooooooooood. here’s how:

you’ll need:

1 cup chicken, shredded with fingers
1 celery rib, diced
2-3 green onions, sliced (yes, use some of the  green part)
1 dollop mayo (not too much, yo!)
a pinch of each:
salt
white pepper
powdered mustard
cayenne pepper

you’ll do:

in a large bowl, add celery, green onion, chicken and then add salt, white pepper, powdered mustard & cayenne, stir. add mayo & mix. eat on bread or on some butter lettuce!

culinary district

culinary district. my new favorite store. located on ouachita avenue in hot springs. this store is a foodie’s dream come true. no kitchen store or grocer in little rock comes close to matching the gourmet food selection and the restaurant supplies carried here. the store is home to a coffee bar (abbreviated menu below) a gourmet freezer section (duck fat, tempura soft shell crabs), an upscale bottled soda selection along with a multitude of oils, vinegars, cheeses, herbs & spices. they also offer product demos (indian bayou milling co) out back in the beautiful courtyard and cooking classes (one taught by café 1217 owner!). i didn’t want to leave and i will return with an organized shopping list. don’t miss out!

Culinary District

510 Ouachita Avenue
(Across from the County Courthouse)
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas 71901
info@culinarydistrict.com

Phone: (501) 624-COOK (2665)

Open Tuesday through Saturday 9am to 6pm

Culinary District Coffee Bar Menu
Served from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Coffee
Selected Teas
Espresso

Assorted Pastries
French Chocolate Brownie    $3.50
Vanilla Cannelle            $1.95
Fresh Baked Cookies        $1.95
72 Layer Biscuit            $1.75
72 Layer Biscuit
w/Canadian Bacon and White Cheddar Cheese    $2.75
Toasted Granola            $4.25
Seasonal Salad            $4.95
Topped with Tuna Salad or Boneless Chicken    $5.95
Greek Salad                $5.95
Fresh spring greens dressed with our homemade Greek dressing
and topped with chicken, feta cheese and kalamata olives
Antipasto Pasta Salad        $5.95
Rotini pasta and fresh vegetables tossed with our homemade
balsamic dressing and topped with Italian cheese and salami
Phyllo Crusted Quiche        $5.95
Ask for today’s selection. Served with our seasonal side salad
The Ultimate Cheese Sandwich$5.95
Made with aged white cheddar, french melting cheese and blue
cheese mayo
American Hot Dog            $4.45
Lean Natural Hickory Smoked Dog served with chips and pickle.
Top with Authentic Kruegermann’s Sauerkraut    $.50
Savory Bratwurst            $4.95
The Wisconsin Way served with chips and pickle.
Top with Authentic Kruegermann’s Sauerkraut    $.50
Ellen's Famous Tuna Salad Sandwich            $5.95
Secret mixture of tuna, McClure's relish, egg, mayo and spices
on whole wheat with seasonal side salad
Make it a melt with white cheddar            $6.95

Pasta with Soft Shell Crabs

pasta with soft shell crab!

this morning on the minimalist, mark bittman made pasta with soft shell crabs. so, it was a pleasant surprise to find soft shell crabs on sale at whole foods ($4.99 each). this is a super easy, super quick, super delicious restaurant quality meal. i bought 5 crabs and upped the olive oil to 1/2 a cup. makes enough to feed 4 hungry peeps. here’s how:

you’ll need:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (i used ½ cup)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, pressed
½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste
4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 pound long pasta, like spaghetti or linguine
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves.

you’ll do:
1. in a very deep skillet or broad saucepan, warm oil, garlic and chili flakes over low heat; do not let garlic brown. when garlic is soft — at least 5 minutes — add crabs (keep heat low to medium low; liquid in pan should barely bubble) and cover. meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil & salt it.
2. let the crabs cook until they give up all their liquid and become firm, about 15 minutes. when crabs are almost done, begin cooking pasta. when crabs are done, use tongs to remove them and hold them while cutting up with scissors. return to pan.
3. drain pasta when it is barely tender, a little short of how you’d want to eat it, reserving some cooking water. add pasta to crabs and toss together over medium heat with pan juices and black pepper, adding some cooking water and a little more oil if necessary. (the amount of each will depend on how much more cooking the pasta needs, and how much liquid the crabs exuded.) add parsley, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. when pasta is perfectly cooked, serve.

potato egg mushroom pepper onion torta

egg, potato, mushroom, pepper, onion, cheese TORTA!

how to morph mushroom fajitas into a potato torta or potato frittata. use the mushroom, pepper, onion mixture leftover from the fajitas to make a delicious anytime meal! serve warm or at room temperature. here’s how:

you’ll need:

leftover mushroom fajitas (see previous post)
8-10 eggs
potatoes, sliced thinly (i used a mandoline)
¼ C cheese - your choice, i used grana padano
2 T sour cream (i was out of half & half)
garlic clove, whole, peeled & smashed
2 T oil
2 T butter

preheat oven to 450℉.

add 2 tablespoons each of oil & butter to a cast iron skillet. add garlic clove to flavor the oil/butter. add potatoes as a thin layer on bottom of skillet. salt & pepper potatoes. cover & cook on med-high for 6 minutes. flip potatoes. cover. let cook for an additional 5 minutes. potatoes should be tender (fully cooked) and beautifully browned.

now, in a large bowl, mix eggs, sour cream (or half & half) salt, pepper & cheese. whisk to incorporate.

put left over mushroom fajitas over potatoes. cover & let heat through, about 1 minutes.

add egg mixture. reduce heat to medium. let eggs set with lid. about 3 minutes.

place skillet into oven for about 8 minutes. watch carefully. cook until just set. do not over cook. if in doubt if the torta is set, open oven and shake. again, do not over cook & do not brown top.

let cool about 20 minutes on stove top. flip torta out on a plate. cut like a pie and serve. YUM.

pre flipped torta

note: a torta is a thick egg and potato cake baked gently in the oven, a spanish omelet of sorts. eat it warm, room temp or cold as a sandwich filling.

mushroom fajitas

mushroom fajitas

mushroom fajitas. delicious & no one had to die. this is an outline of a recipe, use what you have. i cleaned out my fridge after 3 weeks of eating out way too much. here’s how:

you’ll need:

mushrooms (i used shiitake mushrooms & baby portabello)
1 medium onion, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 green pepper. sliced into strips
1 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed
salt
½ teaspoon cumin
veg oil

you’ll do:

remove stem from shiitakes with scissors. (keeps stems to make stock). leave whole if around the size of a quarter. otherwise, cut in half. slice other button style mushrooms. set aside. heat oil in a cast iron skillet. add garlic cloves, this flavors the oil. remove garlic when it browns. add onions & peppers. after about 3 minutes, add the button type sliced mushrooms. after about 2 minutes, add shiitakes. do not add salt. cook & stir frequently until mushrooms are done, about 6 minutes.

season with cumin & salt. set heat to low.

mushroom fajitas

heat tortillas and garnish with salsa, cheese, avocado slices and sour cream.

YUM.

The Secret is out of the Garden: this place SUCKS.

Garden Secrets Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant & Store? in Hot Springs, AR

the food sucks. if the options are between eating out of a dumpster or eating here, ok, i’d probably choose Garden Secrets, but there is absolutely no other reason to eat there. i was a vegetarian for 10+ years and i frequently prepared meat-free meals. so, let’s start with, it’s not the lack of meat that’s the problem at Garden Secrets. it’s the lack of creativity, the lack of FLAVOR, the lack of ambiance and the lack of a good waitstaff.

let’s start with walking in the door: the room is dark, as in no lights on. there is a pitiful excuse for a “store” that you’ll be standing in. my pantry is better stocked. so, here’s your chance to leave. leave before someone spots you and offers to escort you down the weird ass corridor to the “dining area” which is nothing more than an exterior add-on sun room of an old house. there are about 10 booths. go on, think “oh, a restaurant in an old house, how quaint, how cute.” think that about OTHER restaurants. this ain’t cute.

while listening to sad funeral home tunes, you can peruse the menu. you can look at the SOUPS & SALADS section and see NO SOUPS listed. the menu has salads, burgers, sandwiches, panini, spaghetti & various stir fry.
 

look at the mishmash items and think about how the combination of appetizers and your entree will make you VOMIT. guacamole with beef stir fry anyone?

after a looooooooooooong question & answer session of: do you make your own tea? do you have sweet tea? do you make the sweet tea? the tea came un~tea like and unsweet. on the table STEVIA is offered. no real sugar. we were told to sweeten it ourselves.

BEWARE drink refills are not free.

during your excruciatingly long wait for your order to arrive, you can take that time to look at the DIRTY return vent in the wall or the shitty paint job.
 

the service was odd. servers were not unlike lobotomized zombies. we compared our lunch experience not only to a funeral but to eating at the bar in the Shinning, but hell, we all know that would have been waaaaaaaaay better.

the guacamole appetizer ($5.99) was good. the mushroom panini and minestrone soup ($7.99) were both tasteless & bland. the soup had no depth of flavor.
 

prepare yourself for a wait to pay. NOT b/c there is a queue, they haven’t figured out that the cash register will tally what is punched into it. on a pad next to the register, she tried to figure out, long hand, how much to charge for 3 teas ($6.60).

$36.79 down & still hungry.

so, if you haven’t gotten the message: do yourself a favor and DO NOT GO TO GARDEN SECRETS. the secret is out of the garden: this place SUCKS.

also, it's pretty obvious that the review on urban spoon is phony. NO ONE WOULD GO HERE FOR A CELEBRATION DINNER. ok, maybe JACK TORRANCE.

FAUX crabcakes, yo

faux crabcakes. made with summer abundant zucchini. these were good and simple to prepare. a bit time consuming with the draining & the chillin', but with all the spice of a real crabcake. get your veg on. here’s how:

you’ll need:

large hole grater
colander
food processor
4-5 zucchini, grated, salted & drained to = 4 cups grated
1 cup, freshly made breadcrumbs (stale bread, crusts removed)
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions
¼ cup red pepper, finely diced
1½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayo or plain yogurt
cayenne or red pepper flakes

for frying:
veg oil & butter

you’ll do:

grate zucchini. place in colander, sprinkle lightly with salt and let drain in sink for 30 minutes. after the 30 mins, pick up and squeeze out excess water. pat dry with a paper towel. you should have about 2 cups zucchini here.

in a food processor, drop in cubed stale bread and whiz. make about 1 cup breadcrumbs.

in a large mixing bowl mix all ingredients (EXCEPT the oil & butter that you will use for frying). slowly stir in the breadcrumbs until you get a nice dry consistency. dry enough so you can form a patty.

form into 7-8 patties, to resemble crabcakes, and place on parchment/wax paper on a sheet pan/cookie tray that will fit into your fridge. let chill for an hour or so or up to several hours. hell, the day before, just cover with cling wrap.

make sauce here.

heat oil & butter in large skillet. when oil/butter mixture is hot, lift paper up and dump patty onto a pancake turner/spatula. these are delicate! then slide them into the oil/butter. fry until brown then turn them by using a fork with the spatula to get them flipped over to brown the other side. when nice & browned remove from oil and place onto paper towel to drain.

i served mine on a bed of arugula dressed with vinaigrette and topped with sauce. yum.

sauce recipe:

½ cup mayo
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish sauce
1 squirt of ketchup
1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice

delicious VEGAN blueberry muffins

vegan blueberry muffin!

delicious VEGAN blueberry muffins à la gwyneth paltrow. moist. sweet. tender. no flavor is missing here. do it. here’s how:

you’ll need:

½ cup almond milk
½ cup veg oil
½ cup light agave nectar
¼ cup real maple syrup
1 cup white spelt flour
1 cup whole spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine salt
2 ½ cups fresh blueberries

you’ll do:

preheat the oven to 375℉

pour wet ingredients into a large bowl in the order above, that way nectar & syrup will easily pour from measuring cup after the oil.

stir in the dry ingredients. do not over mix! just stir a few times.

fold in blueberries.

divide among muffin cups. should make about 12.

bake for 25-30 minutes. do not over bake, you want them moist!

allow to cool. eat. yum.

hot niçoise salad

hot niçoise salad

hot niçoise salad. a super simple, light, summer meal made all on one sheet pan (easy clean up, people! ~ yell that like oprah). use frozen tuna steaks ($6.99 for 2 steaks at whole foods) or tuna steaks from the seafood case ($25.99 per pound). this recipe was adapted from apple & moses’ mom’s cookbook, my father’s daughter that i picked up at the library. we made this using the grill instead of the oven and the result was perfect. here’s how:

you’ll need:
1 lb fresh green beans, stem end cut off
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
½ cup niçoise olives, pitted (tiny black olives, i had to pit them myself, got 'em at the whole foods olive bar)
7 tablespoons olive oil
1 handful basil
1 red pepper, roasted & peeled
1 yellow pepper, roasted & peeled
2 anchovies, spanish, olive oil packed, flat anchovies (optional)
2 tuna steaks, approx 6 ounces each
black pepper
salt
2 eggs
½ lemon
1 sheet pan
2 ramekins

you'll do:

preheat grill or oven to 400℉.

get ingredients in order.

defrost tuna steaks by setting in a bowl of cold h2o. (if you bought frozen kind)

broil or grill red & yellow peppers until skin is blistered black. place in zip lock bag or a bowl with cling wrap covering. allow to cool.

cut tomatoes in half.

pit olives if needed.

cut off stem end of green beans.

remove skin from peppers. cut peppers into strips.

spray ramekins with Pam or oil with fingers. crack 1 egg into ramekin. salt & pepper egg.

steam green beans + 3 tablespoons of water in a zip lock bag (or covered dish) in microwave for 6 minutes on high. DRAIN.

place egg filled ramekins on sheet pan - pick 2 corners and place.

dump tomatoes, olives and steamed green beans in the middle of sheet pan. toss with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. add salt.

add roasted peppers, torn basil and anchovies, if using. place tuna steaks on top of veggies in the middle of the sheet pan. add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each steak, rub in and then add salt & pepper. add a drizzle of olive oil to each egg.

put sheet pan on 400℉ grill and close the lid for 12 minutes, checking after 10 minutes OR in 400℉ oven for 12 minutes. when done, eggs should be set and tuna will be moist with a center of pink. squeeze lemon over and serve. eat. yum.

lemon blueberry squares!

lemon blueberry square!

lemon blueberry squares! after picking the fresh blueberries, i had a culinary vision. this is one you'll want to make. here's how:

you’ll need:
1 9 ounce box lemon wafers (365 everyday whole foods)
2T butter, melted
1 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 small can sweetened condensed milk
2-3 lemons, zested & juiced
 
you’ll do:
preheat over to 300℉.

in a food processor, dump wafers in & whiz until crumbs. add melted butter and whiz a few times. it will look like wet sand.

place parchment paper into a 9”x13” glass baking dish. it won’t fit perfectly. leave some overhang on the ends so you will have “handles”.

pour wafer/butter mixture onto parchment paper. use a metal measuring cup to press out the “crust” evenly. don’t forget the corners!

bake for 15 minutes. let cool COMPLETELY.

after crust has cooled:

in a medium mixing bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese until fluffy. add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice & lemon zest (use a microplane to zest). mix until smooth. pour mixture into crust. cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. using “handles” lift out of glass dish. place on cutting board. cut into nice squares. top each square with blueberries. serve. eat. YUM.

blueberries, bitches!

Blueberries ripe Pickers needed - $2 Jessieville near Hot Springs Village

Date: 2011-06-25, 5:44AM CDT
Reply to: sale-4axuz-2414959424@craigslist.org


Blueberries are ripe, we need pickers to pick for us or for you pick, we pay .75 cents a pint if you pick for us or You pay us $2 a pound if you pick for you, might even barter U pick one for U and One for Us. Let us know if you are interested, and let your friends know too. We are Located in Jessieville about 12 miles from Hot Springs Village Front gate. Not to hard to find. Also looking for someone to do some vegetable canning for us. We will also have vegetables for sale, heirloom tomatoes, squash, zucchini, okra, cucumbers,beans. Our # Is 9 8 four - 5 four 9 8

Location: Jessieville(near Hot Springs Village)
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

blueberries!

when i read the above craigslist ad, it was on. i picked 7lbs in about 2 hours. this was not hard work. the bushes are tall, so you don’t have to bend unless you want to. it was fun. i’ve been drinking blueberry soda ever since. here’s how:

you’ll need: 
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
handful of blueberries
1 muddler
soda water

you'll do:  
make a simple syrup. in a saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water until sugar is dissolved.  cool. put in a cute pitcher & set aside.

add a handful of blueberries to a glass. using a muddler, smash the blueberries. use muscle for this. add simple syrup and soda water. stir. add ice. drink. YUM.

best tomato soup ever!

creamy tomato soup. this is the BEST tomato soup i’ve ever had. super simple to make. adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution. i made mine stove top. get your can opener ready and get on with it! here’s how:

you’ll need:

2 T butter
3 14.5 cans diced tomatoes (i used 2 regular & 1 fire roasted)
1 onion, minced
1 T brown sugar
1 T tomato paste
3 cups boxed chicken or veg stock
2 bay leaves
white pepper
pinch of cayenne
2 t dry sherry
heavy cream

you’ll do:

mince onion. open cans.

melt butter in a dutch oven or heavy bottom soup pot over medium high heat. add onion, brown sugar, tomato paste and ½ t of salt & cook until onions are softened. add tomatoes. add ½ t salt, bay leaves, white pepper & cayenne. bring to a boil. add stock. bring to a boil, reduce heat and place lid ajar on pot.

simmer for 45 minutes.

remove bay leaves.

use immersion blender and puree soup. taste and adjust salt. stir in sherry and add addtional stock if soup is too thick. heat through. ladle into bowl. add about 1 T of heavy cream to bowl & stir. serve. eat. YUM.

copper kitchen rod

copper rod holding my collection of colanders & strainers.

cut & modified copper end cap.

copper kitchen rod. for $13.52 and 4 minutes installation time, you too can have a copper kitchen rod to hang items above the kitchen sink. i love me & the rod. here’s how:

measure between the cabinets. go to fuller & sons hardware. ask them to cut the ½” copper pipe and drill 1 hole into the center of each copper bracket. 1 bracket had to be cut & modified. see photo. fuller & sons did all the cutting & drilling for me.

you’ll need:

1 ½” copper “hard type” pipe - cut to length you need ($10.68)
2 copper ¾” brackets - both w/a hole drilled into the center for the screw &1 copper end cap must be modified, see photo (.89¢ each)
2 screws (.12¢)
level
marking pencil
phillips screw driver or
1 drill with phillips drill bit
packet of S hooks - i bought mine at the container store ($3.99)
 

i hung the copper bar 3½” from top of each cabinet and 4” from face of each cabinet. yours will probably be different. hang bar high enough so items don’t get in your way while you are at the sink.

you’ll do:

copper end cap.

measure and mark where you will drill the bracket into place. again, mine is 3½” from top of cabinet and 4” from face of cabinet.

put full end cap onto pencil mark and screw into place. place bar into cap and use the level to make sure the mark on the other cabinet is level. i had to adjust mine a bit. using one hand, remove bar while holding & keeping modified cap in place. pencil mark the adjusted spot or just go for it like i did and screw the modified end cap into place.

slide the copper bar into place.

hang S hooks on the copper bar. hang cookware on S hooks.

done.

fuller & sons hardware

900 main street

501 604 7575

the root café

the root café @ 1500 south main street

reuben w sweet potato fries & almond square

the root café. years in the making, the root café is now open at 15th & south main. the building is eco friendly ~ sporting rooftop greenery. the landscaping hosts edible plants. the outdoor eating space is covered to shield you from the elements and has several cute mismatched tables & chairs. inside, the café reveals a thoughtful and inviting decor. and, the food is super yummy. but, let me begin with my rant about SQUATTERS. ordering at the root is much like ordering at vinos or the flying fish ~ one stands in line, places an order and finds a seat. i am cool with this system. it’s the squatters that have me in a twist. so, let’s define a squatter: squatters are assholes that sit down and claim a table before any one in their party has ordered. this screws up the flow for everyone. if you are a squatter, you are a self centered asshole. got it? back to the root café: i chose the reuben ($7.95) with sweet potato fries ($1.75), ginger lemonade ($2.50) & an almond square ($?) for dessert. the reuben came with a small spring mix salad with homemade dressing and blackberries! delicious! the sammie was toasted, not greasy, and super yum with house made thousand island dressing. the ginger lemonade was refreshing and not too sweet. the almond square was akin to a lemon square but better! the root sources local ingredients from familiar faces that sell at the argenta farmers market each saturday. breads & buns come from across the street at boulevard bread. the root café is open 7-2:30 and 8-3:30 on saturday. so, stop by for a latté in the morning. and if you see a squatter - give ‘em the evil eye.

the root café

1500 south main

501 414 0423

prosciutto & swiss cheese baguette

a simple delicious sammie. this is as basic and delicious as a sammie gets. not the overstuffed sloppy mess in which you are accustomed. start with the best ingredients and you’ll be transported instantly to paris. promise. you may tempted to americanize this with more meat, too much cheese or by adding tomatoes --- don’t. & nowhere did i write this is authentic. i wrote: delicious. here’s how:

you’ll need:

1 boulevard bread baguette
2 slices swiss cheese, lovingly sliced by the guy at whole foods that wears the beard hat.
3 slices prosciutto, sliced paper thin
maille mustard
butter

you’ll do:

really? you need help with this part?

zucchini PASTA

zucchini ribbons. DELICIOUS! these zucchini pasta ribbons are quicker to cook than pasta and are super delicious. i want more, but there is no more. this will be my go to summer meal. only a handful of ingredients and 4 minutes cooking time, any one can prepare this dish and be in heaven eating the results. grab a peeler and do it. here’s how:

you’ll need: 

4-6 smallish zucchinis, sliced thinly
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed thru a garlic press
olive oil, 2-4 tablespoons
1-2 medium tomatoes, diced
crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon (less if you are wimpy)
salt
pepper
parmesan cheese, grated

you'll do:

use a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into lengthwise ribbons. peel off several from one side, then turn the zucchini and peel off more. continue to turn and peel away ribbons until you get to the seeds at the core of the zucchini. discard the core. or, use a mandolin, adjusted to a very thin slice.

cut tomato into a bite size dice.

heat large skillet to medium high heat. add 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil. add crushed red pepper to hot oil then add zucchini strips. salt to taste cook for 2 minutes. add garlic and keep stirring for 30 seconds. do not allow any of this to brown. add tomato and heat thru about 2 more minutes.

plate and top with grated parm cheese.

eat.

quick & easy broccoli soup!

broccoli prep - separate stems & florets

broccoli soup. martha stewart to the rescue. i used martha's recipe as a guide for a super simple and quicker version than my previous broccoli soup post. YUM. no excuses, get to the farmers market and pick up 2 bunches of broccoli - this is so delicious, you’ll be sorry if you don’t double the batch below. here’s how:

you’ll need:

1 bunch broccoli, stems separated & cut into rounds
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon flour
4 cups chicken or veg stock
½ cup heavy cream
salt to taste

immersion blender/blender
fine mesh sieve

you'll do:

broccoli soup!

in a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. add onion and salt and sauté until transparent, about 5 minutes. add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. do not allow the flour to brown.

pour in stock, whisking to incorporate and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.

add broccoli stems and return to a boil. add broccoli florets and return to a boil. reduce heat and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the broccoli can be smashed easily with the back of a spoon.

puree soup with immersion blender.

pour soup into a large bowl and then place mesh sieve over pot you were cooking in. ladle soup into sieve and pass it through sieve back into pot - using ladle to rub out as much liquid as possible. don’t skip this step. this step makes it velvety yum!

throw away what doesn’t pass through sieve.

now, right before you are ready to serve, gently re-heat soup and add heavy cream - do not allow to boil.

ladle and eat.

note: martha says you can make the base the day before, let if cool completely then refrigerate it. then when you are ready to continue, heat it and start again at the add broccoli stems stage.

easy bake oven sausages & tomatoes

layering flavors: bacon,rosemary & tomatoes

easy bake oven sausages & tomatoes. i love it when i can clear out my fridge and have a delicious easy meal. inspired by jamie oliver’s tomato show - this was the perfect use for the spicy italian chicken sausages i bought on sale at whole foods. tomatoes, some tired, some fresh and a few cherry. not much prep. no standing & stirring. just turn on your oven and layer in the flavors. takes a few minutes of prep; an hour and half or so of baking. see? easy. do it. here’s how:

you’ll need:

bacon, at least 4 strips
sausages, i had 4

sausage and tomatoes

tomatoes, enough to make it saucy, about 10 medium. i had 4 medium and a handful of cherry. core tomatoes & score at the core if they are cherry. I added canned tomatoes too.
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, tomatoes only, no juice - use canned if you do not have enough fresh or use 2 cans if you have no fresh at all. cooking is fun.
4 bay leaves
oregano, a tablespoon or so dried, 4 sprigs, if fresh.
4 rosemary sprigs
garlic cloves, unpeeled, at least 6 up to an entire clove
salt

a starch to sop up the juices! bread, pasta, rice, polenta, your choice.

jamie used a sheet pan in an outdoor pizza oven. i used a glass casserole dish and a regular ole gas oven.

lay bacon strips in casserole dish or sheet pan.
set oven to 400℉.
put dish/pan in cold oven and bake for at least 25 minutes.
note: thick cut bacon may take longer to render fat and crisp up.

when bacon has rendered most of its fat and is kinda crispy, move bacon to one side of casserole and add herbage to drippings. it’s fun to watch the herbs sizzle in the fat.

add tomatoes, cored/scored side down. return dish/pan to the oven for 15 minutes.
remove from oven & peel tomatoes with fingers - discarding peels.

salt tomatoes to taste.

add sausages to dish/pan.

reduce oven temp to 375℉ and bake for 1 hour. note: if using chicken sausage you won’t need to cook it as long as pork. let tomatoes/garlic mixture bake alone for 25 minutes, then add chicken sausage for the remaining 35 minutes. pull bacon to the top of mixture so it won’t get flabby.

plate --- don’t forget to get some garlic and bacon!

verdict: smells wonderful while baking. super flavorful. delicious. easy. fun.

risotto!

mushroom & spinach risotto!

risotto. i have been hesitant to make risotto at home. a rainy day & a hankering for comfort food forced me to crack open my martha stewart's cooking school cookbook. and yes, i had all ingredients on hand. i have been served disappointing risotto locally and had 1 good experience in austin, tx. sad or sublime (you choose) my home version kicked acadia’s & maddi’s asses. here’s how:

you’ll need:

martha’s recipe says to make a stock. i played along. i used what i had on hand, i freeze my shiitake stems for stocks, so, i added those in along with her recipe, minus the carrot,  i didn’t have one.

stock recipe:

1 celery stalk
1 medium carrot
½ small onion
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 sprig flat leaf parsley
7 cups of water or ½ h2o & ½ chicken stock

stock

combine stock ingredients in a 4 quart stockpot & bring to boil. reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. reduce heat to lowest setting to keep stock hot but not evaporating.

meanwhile:

mushrooms, about 6, sliced, optional

3 tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, finely diced

1 cup arborio rice
⅓ cup white wine

in another 4 quart dutch oven, heat olive oil over med-high heat. cook onion until translucent stirring about for about 2 minutes. add rice and cook stirring until just starting to turn translucent, rice will start making a clicking sound about - 1-2 minutes. reduce heat if onion beings to brown.

note: i added fresh mushrooms to a DRY dutch oven first. i browned off the mushrooms, again, in a DRY pan, then i proceeded with above. optional.

add white wine and cook stirring just until absorbed. using a ladle, add hot stock to rice, stir with a wooden spoon until almost all liquid is absorbed. repeat this process for 20-25 minutes adding smaller amounts of stock near the end of cooking time. when the risotto makes a trail behind the wooden spoon, you know to add more stock. the risotto will be CREAMY when done and rice will be al dente but not crunchy. & p.s. dear acadia; risotto does NOT sit in a pool of stock. thanks.

2 tablespoons butter
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

fresh spinach, a couple handfuls, optional

when the risotto is finished. that means is tender and has absorbed all the liquid and is creamy --- finish it with butter. stir in butter until it is completely melted. then stir in cheese.

note: i added fresh spinach here. a couple handfuls. stir.

eat.

pasta e fagioli

pasta & bean soup garnished w grated parmesan & olive oil

pasta e fagioli. this is a pantry soup, meaning the recipe doesn’t call for many fresh ingredients. apart from rosemary from my herb garden --- onion & garlic complete the list of fresh items you will need. i was lucky and had all the ingredients on hand. this recipe doesn’t make much, so, if you want lunch tomorrow, double the recipe. if you save parmesan cheese rinds - dig ‘em out of the freezer and toss ‘em in the pot to simmer in the soup. do it, it’s delicious & easy & 1,000 times better than the watery olive garden version. yeah, i said it. here’s how:

you’ll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 oz pancetta or bacon finely chopped
1 onion, finely diced
salt, about a teaspoon
2 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinse
5 cups chicken stock
2 springs fresh rosemary
pepper

parmesan cheese rind
¾ cup tubular pasta, such as elbow mac or ditali

parmesan cheese, freshly grated
olive oil

you’ll do:

in a large dutch oven, heat oil over med-high heat. add pancetta or bacon and cook until crispy - about 5 minutes. add onion & salt and sauté until soft - about 6 minutes. add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds and add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently - until paste turns rusty brown in color.

add beans, stock, rosemary, pepper & parmesan rind (if using). bring to a boil. reduce heat & simmer for 10 minutes. add pasta and cook until tender to the bite about 8 minutes.

serve and top with grated parmesan cheese and olive oil.

note: i cooked my elbow macaroni in a separate pot. if you are banking on leftovers, this is the way to go - add pasta to your soup bowl. the pasta will get flabby if forced to sit around in the soup.