Photo Shoot

~ Late Summer/Early Autumn COLLECTION 2008 ~

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~ A sensual waltz of vivid red ~

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Recup

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~Nothing like a Fig Tree~

~Have a healthy, fruity, and flavorful Friday~

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Suite Pea Bundles

Inspiration is often born from necessity.

Ricotta cheese is luscious, but it does not keep for long. After Friday's Spinach Noodles, I had an open container half full in my fridge. I hate waste but I usually have to throw some away :-(
I hate doing that, so I pushed myself to come up with a new recipe to utilize it.
It occurred to me to try something similar to the spinach puree with another vegetable. I always have petite peas in the freezer, and next to them I found some stashed pasta wrappers (freeze them to stay fresh if you don't plan to use them right away). In the pantry, I found one shallot that needed to be used.

And Suite Pea Bundles are born. I'm very happy with this filling; it gives the bundles a pretty green color.

I made more filling than was needed but I fully intend to use the rest. I'm thinking of a layered dish later this week, with fire-roasted tomatoes and spaghetti squash.

Suite Pea Bundles

10 ounces frozen peas
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2/3 cup part-skim ricotta
1 package round pasta wrappers

Boil a small pot of water and add a pinch of salt. Add frozen peas and cook for 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking and cool them down. Drain thoroughly and pour into a food processor. Add the salt, parmesan and ricotta cheeses. Puree to a chunky consistency, scraping down the bowl midway through.

Open the package of wrappers, and place a damp towel on top. Place 4 wrappers in front of you and fill them with a teaspoon of filling. Pinch edges together tightly to seal, squeezing out excess air. Place on a baking sheet and repeat (4 wrappers at a time) until all wrappers are gone.

If using later, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour before transferring the bundles to a freezer bag.

To serve right away, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt. Add the bundles and cook for 3-5 minutes. The bundles are done when they float to the top.

Serving Suggestions:

~ a dust with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil
~ a garnish with a drained can of fire-roasted tomatoes
~ serve in a soup of chicken broth, cannellini beans and vegetables
~ prepare with a bamboo steamer and serve as an appetizer

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Football aka Food Sunday

NH loves football (especially the Denver Broncos) and this autumn we have Sunday Ticket at our house. That means hosting a group nearly every week, today being the first.
We will be preparing food for our guests but I want to steer clear of "sports game" food.

Some chips and pistachios are a bit traditional, but ordinary stops here.

Three varieties of grapes and Kadota figs

TJ's Harvest Wheat, Grilled Flatbread, and water crackers

(not pictured:) Pepper Jack and Brie Cheese, Roasted Italian Turkey, sliced Tomato, greens for a Panini Bar

Not bad football fare :-)

I am not sure what we'll have in the weeks to come, but a few ideas on the drawing board include dim sum, meze, and antipasto. I am excited for next week, more mouths to feed!

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We're not the biggest snackers in the house this weekend.
Padma seems to have NH's penchant for snacking, and he's been nice enough to share with her.

Newly discovered favorites: TJ's Cheese Crunchies,

and Cheese Popcorn

Our little gourmet

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Spinach Noodles

On the heels of yesterday's anti-pasta post (no pun intended).....

I give you a pasta dish.

Another family recipe, I chuckle as I write this because I used to say I hated it. Yes, I went through a phase as a teenager where I decided I didn't like this and caused a fuss when Mom made it. The stupidity of childhood, and I'm so sorry Mom because this pasta dish rocks.

Traditionally we like it with pasta such as rotelle (wagon wheels), farfalle (bow-ties) or orecchiette (little ears). The velvety sauce clings to the nooks and crannies of the pasta creating a luscious mouthfeel. Here I used bucatini noodles for two reasons: 1. they are hard to find and I have some in my pantry, and 2. I was curious how the sauce would react.

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A bit of cookery on a hot hot Friday!

I do think I prefer pasta shapes, but our noodles were still delicious.
My bowl,

and NH's bowl.

The spinach sauce is a wonderful recipe; it's healthy and flavorful, and if you get the texture right can seem like a creamy decadent sauce without all the fat. If you are not big on spinach but interested in its vitamins, this may be right up your alley.

Spinach Noodles
serves 4

1 lb frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of all water
3 Tablespoons onion, chopped
olive oil cooking spray
low sodium chicken broth to taste (1-3 cups)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
salt to tast
1 lb pasta, preferably shapes
Optional garnish suggestions: parmesan cheese, diced tomato, roasted or fresh corn

Spray a pan lightly with olive oil cooking spray and saute the onion without browning for a few minutes. Add the spinach and some chicken broth and cook until tender. Transfer to a food processor, add the ricotta and puree until smooth. Add chicken broth to create the preferred consistency. More chicken broth will create a smoother more liquid sauce that clings to pasta shapes.

Boil pasta in a large pot according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the sauce to the pot and stir to combine. Garnish as desired, and serve immediately.

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After taking pictures our plates had cooled a bit, but since it was still hot a warm bowl was more welcome than a hot one.

This sauce batch did not have the velvety texture I prefer; I should have added more chicken broth- I'm still working on personally perfecting the recipe, it's a work in progress :-). Someday I'll get it just like Mom's.
On the plus side, this consistency works better as a pizza topping. Plans for one with the leftover sauce are in the works next week....

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Salad with Figs

Hardly a recipe, but *oh so* good.

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If you've visited me in the past, you may have an inkling of my fig obsession. For several precious weeks a year I gorge myself on them. I used to have nearly unlimited access at work; now they are more precious than ever. Last weekend I plucked a large bagful from my parents' tree.

It's a huge one dripping with black missions and right now it's heavy with fruit. Here's my lovely Mom and the tree.

The loot is in the freezer so none are wasted. They thaw nicely and can be eaten out of hand (my preference) or used in dishes like this salad.

I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Cheryl, who writes 5 second rule. She posted a similar salad a few days ago; 20 minutes before dinner I decided this is what I wanted.

Parmesan-Walnut Salad with Fresh Figs
serves 1

several fistfuls of baby greens and fresh spinach
2 whole walnuts, toasted and chopped
a few shavings of parmigiano reggiano cheese
3 fresh figs, two halved and the third chopped
a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
a drizzle of toasted walnut oil
a sprinkle of salt

Toss the greens with the oil, vinegar, and salt. Garnish with the walnuts, cheese, and figs. Devour.

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Pasta Trick

I L-O-V-E pasta.

I do. But I'm not very good at controlling my portions and often end up consuming a calorie-laden meal that leaves me feeling heavy. Instead, I use a great trick for getting the mouth-feel and satisfaction of a bowl of pasta without the food coma and expanding waist.

Baked spaghetti squash + fire-roasted tomatoes + seared shrimp + basil pesto + parmigiano reggiano = Pasta deliciousness!

Spaghetti Squash is one of my little diet secrets. Nutritious (high in folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene) and very low in calories (8 ounces cooked has about 75), it satisfies my craving for a big bowl of spaghetti. My mouth can't tell the difference between this combination and the real thing. I can fork-twirl away and my brain is completely fooled. I also prefer to be heavy-handed with adding cheese, and the calories saved give me more leeway.
Sissy pasta toppings don't go here- the robustness of the tomato sauce and pesto assist in the deception. For other toppings, try roasted red peppers, a spicy arrabiatta, some capers, or a cilantro pesto.
Spaghetti Squash come with a convenient little sticker with baking instructions. To cook, slice in half first. (This can be a little difficult- slice down longways, doing your best to stay in the middle. Use a mallet to get through it if you need to.) Scrape out the seeds in the middle and place that side down on a baking sheet.

I like to roast mine at 375 for 45 minutes or so depending on the size and how soft I want it to be. A medium-sized squash will give me about two dinners (I told you, you can eat a lot of it!).

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Dinner in Pictures

brie and crackers

cucumber mint soup

trader joe's harvest grains blend..

..bubbling away

grilling apple-ginger glazed chicken and skewers of mushrooms and squash

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Cucumber Mint Soup
adapted from a recipe by Jacques Pepin
a staple first course in my childhood home

1 lb cucumber (1 English or 3 Persian)
1 16 ounce container plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large clove garlic, smashed
About 20 mint leaves, minced

Peel the cucumber and cut in half. Remove the seeds as much as possible. Cut in quarters lengthwise and then into 1/4-inch dice.

Put the yogurt in the serving bowl and add the cold water. Whisk until combined, then add the oil, vinegar, salt, and garlic clove. Mix well to combine, stirring in the cucumber and mint. Chill for at least 15 minutes. Before serving, fish out the smashed garlic clove and discard.

Makes 6 first course servings.

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Nana PB-Yo Parfait

Needing a little comfort food, my lunch today was inspired by The Peanut Butter Boy and his recipe for PB Parfait. I'm not feeling too great :-( and the texture combo of banana, peanut butter, and yogurt sounded nice to me.

I started (in a tall blue wine glass) with some cut banana.

Next, I added some peanut butter. I searched in vain for Peanut Butter & Co's Cinnamon Raisin flavor, but couldn't find it. My Whole Foods supposedly carries it but no where to be found (gonna keep looking). Instead, I used this little packet of Justin's Organic Cinnamon peanut butter.

It's one serving, 180 calories; what a great idea for school lunches! I think I used about 2/3 of the packet. Next, I added a little Suite Apple Granola.

Next, some TJ's 0% Greek-style Yogurt, about 5 1/2 ounces. I added half, than some freezer strawberry jam followed by the rest of the yogurt. To garnish, a teeny drizzle of the apple glaze left from the Apple Oatmeal Cupcakes last week, and another sprinkle of granola.

Mmmmm

The texture of the yogurt and peanut butter together is fun, sticky and creamy. It made a nice lunch. And if I ever get tired of oatmeal for breakfast... well, not sure that will ever happen, but who knows?

Terrific recipe Peanut Butter Boy, thank you for the inspiration!

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Wine Tasting in Los Gatos

Cooler weather and sunshine calls for a little mountain wine tasting.

Los Gatos is my hometown, and a beautiful one it is. With a charming downtown and lovely residential areas, it also extends into the mountains towards Santa Cruz and the beach. These mountains house some terrific wineries.

Byington Winery is closer to town than Summit, the top of the mountains and half-way point to the beach. It's a beautiful house and event center; our close friends are getting married there in 3 weeks!! We wanted to visit before the wedding and were running out of time. NH and I stayed in the tasting room while they met with their photographer on the grounds.

The views are breathtaking.

The tasting room is nice, very casual. There is no tasting fee for the regular menu.

You can taste two signature wines for $5. The bottles are pricey at $50, so it's certainly worth five bucks to sample them.

The grounds have some beautiful roses that I couldn't resist.

We liked each wine we sampled, including this '06 Chardonnay which pleasantly surprised me. Not a Chardonnay person as you know, but this one wasn't overpowering.

After a little lunch (some sandwiches purchased in town beforehand; they were inhaled so no pictures), we drove next door to David Bruce Winery. Our friends had been before and were lukewarm on the service in the tasting room, but it was convenient.

The property is quite lovely, especially on a nice day.

The tasting area is roomy and it's free here also; they specialize in Pinot Noir and offer a special "sampler case" which I've never seen before. For $200 you get 12 different bottles of wine, which would $350 if you buy them separately.

But alas, the service in the tasting room was confirmed. It's infuriating how some treat a group our age. They seem to think that two 20-something couples are just out to drink and get drunk. An unfortunate assumption for them, since we do know a bit about wine and are there to enjoy and experience. And 10 years from now we will be the connoisseurs they want to fawn over. And we will remember the mediocre treatment.

With a few favorite wineries in the area- Burrell School, Bonny Doon, Testarossa- it was wonderful to try something new. I'd recommend Byington Winery to any visitor and I know we'll be back (for wedding and for wine).

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