Linguine With Parsley Sauce

Parsley is one of my favorite green herbs. My mother used it in almost everything she cooked. She told us "it's good for you and it has a lot of iron".

So I too always use fresh parsley (always listen to your mother :) ). The boys (my grandsons) don't like seeing green specs attached to their food but I keep using it and hope that they will overcome eating with their eyes and start enjoying the flavors. I'm hopeful since their mother and aunt eventually did.

Using fresh herbs can have nutritional benefits. Parsley is an herb with a milder flavor than some other green herbs and has beneficial antioxidant properties.

Now that we have a little bit of parsley facts let's get cooking. This is an easy recipe and in less than 20 minutes (if you use fresh pasta) you have a delicious meal. I made a couple of changes from the original recipe.

Linguine With Parsley Sauce and Tomatoes
(Adapted from a recipe in Lydia Bastianich's cookbook Lydia Cooks from the Heart of Italy)
Ingredients

• 2 cups flat leaf parsley leaves
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I use a pinch; you can adjust to your desired heat level)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb. of fresh linguine
• 1 TBLS. butter (I use smart balance)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. If desired, place the halved tomatoes on a pan, sprinkle with course salt and place under the broiler for about 6-8 minutes, or just until softened, and then remove.
2. Add the parsley and baby spinach leaves, garlic, pepper flakes and salt in bowl of food processor and pulse several times to coarsely chop the parsley and garlic. Then pour in the olive oil as the machine continues to break down the ingredients into a fine texture.   With a spatula scrape the sides of the processor bowl to add the sauce to a small bowl and set aside.  (This step takes about 1 minute more or less.)
3. Bring water to boil for the pasta and cook according to package directions.
4. Drain the pasta and save a little of the water. Pour the pasta in to a large mixing bowl, add a tablespoon of butter, add the parsley sauce and the warm tomatoes and mix well.   If too dry stir in a  little of the pasta water and mix well.
5. Serve with the grated cheese on the side.

The parsley sauce can be prepared a day in advance or frozen to be used a week or two later.


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks

I've shared this with:

Hearth and Soul at Premeditated Leftovers

Grilled Portobello With Tomatoes and Cheese

I had a few lingering tomatoes left in my garden and in the farmer's market I found large portobello mushrooms.

I decided to make a light lunch with my fresh garden variety vegetables.

This is so easy to do, and an outdoor grill is not even needed. 

You can make this in your toaster oven or when the weather starts to get cooler use the broiler in your oven.

Grilled Portobello With Fresh Tomatoes and Cheese

Ingredients:

• Large Mushroom Caps
• Fresh sliced tomatoes
• 1-2 TBLS. olive oil
• Fresh baby spinach
• Slice of cheese (muenster or your favorite melting cheese)**
• salt and pepper
• fresh herbs of choice (basil/parsley/oregano/rosemary)

Preparation:

1. Clean the mushroom caps, brush lightly with a little olive oil and place on grill. Cook about 2 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the mushroom cap.
2. Turn cap bottom side up, and add sliced fresh tomatoes and a slice of muenster cheese, or your favorite melting cheese.
3. Let the the cheese melt, about 1 minute. When done place the mushroom on top of a bed of spinach. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste and if available add chopped fresh herbs from your garden.

This was so light and delicious.   It left room for a hot fudge sundae --  not as light as the lunch, but it sure was good! :)

**Sometimes cheese is not considered gluten free. If you want to make this an excellent vegetarian lunch and gluten free just eliminate the cheese (or use a cheese that you know is gluten free).**


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks

I've shared this recipe with:

Hearth and Soul at Premeditated Leftovers

The Harvest Season is Crush Time

Finally! the weather is cool and Harvest Season is upon us. It's one of my favorite times of the year.

It's harvest time in wine country here in the states and the grape harvest brings us the "Crush" season as well.

Many wineries have "crush season" activities. Some events are free and some require registration with a fee.

Depending on the region, you can attend seminars on winemaking, wine and food pairings with local produce; barrel tastings; and harvest celebrations with music and dancing.

If you have a chance to visit a wine region this Harvest season go to your favorite winery web site for a calendar of events in your area.

This is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year to enjoy Mother Nature in all her glory.

Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Corn Fritters

I've been looking through my cookbooks for a fritter recipe and found one in my old version of The Good Housekeeping Cookbook. This cookbook was given to me when I was just a bride (long ago).

I must be out of my mind -- I don't have time to waste looking for recipes in cookbooks. I should know them all by now -- it's been years . . . and years that I've been cooking without recipes.

My recipe method calls for a pinch of this, sprinkle and pour as needed which works for me. My mother taught me this method and it's the only one I have used for the last 40 years. It's just a little difficult to translate my "eye" into the traditional teaspoons and cups method. So my many thanks to you Good Housekeeping for always being there.

I made the corn fritters on a recent weekend (before Irene came to town) as a little appetizer for us since there was a lot going on and dinner would be later than usual. We needed something to hold us over and rather than eating chips and dip I made the fritters.

The fritters turned out delicious and to my surprise even our grandsons liked them. They don't usually eat anything that looks different than plain meat and potatoes.

Fritters are easy to prepare and you can be finished in a flash with this simple recipe. They make a great appetizer or a side dish.

Corn Fritters
(recipe adapted from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, the recipe calls for "salad" oil - that was a looooong time ago.)

Ingredients

• 1 14 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 TBL. canola oil
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• canola oil for frying
• Honey, maple syrup, or confectioner's sugar

Directions

1. Heat canola oil in pan filling about 1/2 inch.
2. In medium bowl mix 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining ingredients and blending with a fork.
3. When oil is hot, scoop up a tablespoon full of batter, or use a cookie scoop and drop into hot oil. Cook approximately 3 to 5 minutes, turning once until golden brown.
4. Remove when done and drain on paper towels. Serve with the condiments of your choice.

I don't make fritters very often, or as often as I used to. The fried foods coupled with the starch are not on our doctor's recommended foods list but I do splurge on these yummy dishes a couple of times a year. I serve mine with "healthy" honey if there is such a thing. It just makes me feel better using honey rather than sprinkling with powdered sugar, but they are really, really good with the sugar (if I remember from a time way back when I used the sugar).

Mangia!
Winelady Cooks


I've shared this with:

Turning the Table Thursday