Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

I have been working on perfect paella for about a year. Unfortunately something always went wrong. My paella would be too mushy, too crunchy, too salty or completely bland. After a year of testing the dish, I finally got it right, and found the perfect combination of ingredients. I love the taste of shrimp and spicy sausage with vegetables and rice. Although following the recipe below gives the most delicious results, when I am feeling lazy I throw the rice, saffron, paprika, bay leaves, and broth in a rice cooker. Next, I soften the vegetables on the stove, thrown in the sausage, and add the shrimp for just a few minutes. When the rice is cooked, I mix the cooked rice, vegetables, sausage and shrimp together. When I am pressed for time, this rice cooker version satisfies my paella craving.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 links cooked Spanish chicken chorizo, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

1 pound uncooked peeled deveined large shrimp
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 cups brown rice
1 pinch saffron threads
2 bay leaves
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tomato, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked chorizo and cook until browned and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add rice, paprika, saffron, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add frozen peas, tomato and shrimp. Stir to combine.

Transfer skillet to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fluff with a fork, season to taste and serve immediately.

Pesto Stuffed Shells

I've been wanting to post this meal for a few weeks, but felt like I needed a break from pasta posts. Over the past few weeks I have branched out with soups, salads, quinoa, and even smoothies recipes. I, however, keep coming back to the good stuff. I can't help it. I absolutely love pasta! I always have. As a little kid I always requested "skabeti" for dinner. I could never handle a low carb diet, or go paleo.  I made these pesto stuffed shells on a Sunday evening, and they looked so cute on the plate. The pesto mixed into the ricotta filling took the flavor up a notch. Ricotta stuffed shells topped with a simple tomato sauce and a little cheese created a blogable dish. 

                          

Ingredients:
Sauce:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed red tomatoes
1 14-ounce can crushed red tomatoes

Filling:
1 15-ounce container low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup grated mozzarella
5 tablespoons store bought pesto

25-30 jumbo dried pasta shells

Directions:
Get a big pot of water boiling, and preheat your oven to 350F.

To make the sauce, combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant - you don't want the garlic to brown. Now stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, just a minute or two. Remove from heat and carefully take a taste (you don't want to burn your tongue)...If the sauce needs more salt add it now. Let cool.

To make the filling, combine the ricotta, pesto egg, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until combined, then stir in the mozzarella. Set aside.

Cook the shells according to package instructions in well-salted water - until al dente. If you overcook, the shells will tear as you attempt to fill them. Drain and let cool long enough to handle with your hands - see photo.

Spread 1/3 of sauce across the bottom of the prepared pan. Fill each shell with ricotta, and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncover for the final 15 minutes or until the shells are cooked through. Serve hot.

Serves 4 - 6.

Quinoa Caprese Salad

Quinoa Caprese Salad is a simple and fresh dish with bright, beautiful colors. I used a combination of red and white quinoa, cooked it in my rice cooker (the only way to cook quinoa), fluffed the quinoa with quality fresh mozzarella (none of that gross rubbery stuff), evoo, salt and pepper, tomatoes and basil. Do not skimp on the basil! Basil is the power ingredient in this dish. Without it the salad will not have the same crisp, clean and refreshing taste. To chop your basil, roll a couple leaves like a cigar and give the roll a few quick clean chops. This will help prevent bruising. Nobody likes brown basil. This is a great salad to make in a big batch and portion out for weekday lunches. Your co-workers will be jealous!

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
8-10 oz fresh mozzarella
1 carton grape tomatoes, halved
A few tablespoons of fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method
1. Using a rice cooker, cook the quinoa. It comes out perfect every time! Rinse the quinoa before putting it in the rice cooker, add two cups of water, hit start and wait. You'll never cook quinoa on the stove again.
2. Cool the cooked quinoa in the refrigerator for at least an hour before preparing the salad. IMPORTANT!
3. To prepare the salad, slice grape tomatoes in half and cut the mozzarella into bite size pieces. Mix together. Then, add the chopped basil and cooked quinoa and give the salad a toss. Next, drizzle on the evoo and season with a little salt and pepper. Give your salad a final toss and serve cool or at room temperature.

Runner's World Black Forest Blizzard

Living off of blended foods for the week after I got four wisdom teeth pulled turned me away from smoothies. I have tried to get into the whole green smoothie fad as a way to pack in the leafy greens, but I am just not a smoothie person. This Runner's World recipe, for example, had been hanging on my fridge for over a year. It even has chocolate! I finally blended it up last weekend after a run. Although it is not packed with spinach and kale, the protein from the greek yogurt and antioxidants from the cherries help reduce inflammation after a tough workout. The Black Forest Blizzard is the smoothie for non-smoothie lovers, tasting more like a light milkshake. I'm still working on drinking my greens, and finally blending up this Black Forest Blizzard is a step in the right direction. If anyone has green smoothie recipes that will convert me, send them my way!

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen, dark sweet cherries
1 frozen banana (freeze them with the peel off)
1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Famous Chocolate Wafer for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients (expect the wafer) in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Top with crumbled chocolate wafer.

Butternut Squash Soup with Truffle Grilled Cheese Croutons

Farm Fresh To You is a home delivery service for local organic produce. As a customer you select how often you'd like delivery service, choose your produce box size, and indicate what types of fruit and vegetables you are interested in getting delivered. I subscribe to Farm Fresh To You bi-weekly, and it has taught me to be more creative and to plan my meals around what in season. I have also learned to work with new ingredients, such as purple cauliflower, bok choy, rainbow chard, and beets. This past week for $25 I received a delivery of apples, oranges, grapefruit, kale, carrots, kumquats, and two beautiful butternut squash. I roasted the first butternut squash, and ate it with a spoon. It was so smooth and creamy! I decided to get a little more creative for the second. I sauteed some vegetables, added chicken stock and the roasted squash, seasoned it and blended it up. To take my soup up a notch, I made grilled cheese sandwiches, cut them into crouton cubes, and sprinkled them with white truffle oil and salt. You can't get this fresh taste from a can of soup, and you definitely can't get truffle grilled cheese croutons from a box. 

 

Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
1 large butternut squash, peeled
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt & Pepper
4 slices crusty wheat bread
Your favorite cheese
White Truffle Oil and/or salt for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the butternut squash in 1-inch cubes. Place on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, about a 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread it in a single layer. Roast for 40 until tender.

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in butternut squash, thyme, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the soup cool for a few minutes and carefully purée in batches in a blender.

For the truffled grilled cheese croutons, heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with olive oil. Turn the slices over and add cheese to two slices of bread. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the cheese, oiled sides up.

Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 4-5 minutes, until melty and brown. Place back on the cutting board, allow to cool for a few minutes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with white truffle salt and oil. 

Truffled Pappardelle with Heirloom Tomatoes and Spinach

I love carbo-loading. It is one of the many benefits of being a runner. This pre-Los Angeles 13.1 meal was made almost entirely from Christmas gifts. I love experimenting with my foodie gifts! Tom, the pappardelle travelled well, and was the perfect canvas for sautéed heirloom tomatoes and spinach. Carmen and Jim, I felt really cool drizzling the pasta with white truffle oil. It made my pasta taste like an expensive entrée straight out of Beverly Hills. I have been using truffle on everything lately: eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, popcorn. If you do not have truffle oil in your pantry, go buy some. It makes everything taste gourmet. Expect to see more recipes featuring truffle in the upcoming weeks!

 

Ingredients:
8 ounces pappardelle pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
4 ounces baby spinach (1/2 a bag)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper
Pecorino Romano sprinkling
A few drops of white truffle oil

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving some pasta water, and return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until tomato skins are split and shallots are golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Gradually add spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 3 minutes.

Toss tomatoes, spinach and pasta, and sprinkle with Pecorino Romano and red pepper flakes. Serve in bowls, and top with a few drops of white truffle oil.

Brent's Salmon Pizza

After meeting Cristina, I was forced to step up my food game. I was raised in a family, God bless us, where meals were store bought lasagna or salad. After graduating college, my culinary repertoire consisted of pressing start on the microwave, and following directions on the mac and cheese box. Enter Cristina, the love of my heart and stomach's life. After mastering basics like Picadillo, Sweet Potato Enchiladas, arrays of Pastas (I now know the difference between penne, rigatoni, and farfalle), I felt comfortable stepping out from behind her tutelage and into my own.

This dish features a humble imitation of a Wolfgang Puck salmon pizza. While the concept of salmon on a pizza is the same, not much else is. The main difference is my own unique take on what pizza sauce should be. Pizza sauce is normally a boring cousin of simple marinera. To give it more spunk, I added sun dried tomato pesto, and chopped garlic. Add part skim mozzarella cheese (Cristina's zeal for health comes through here), artichoke hearts, and salmon. Looking at my first attempt at cuisine creativity, I know that I've come a long way from taking rotesserie chicken out from its grocery store warmth and plastic shield. The "yumms!" coming from my foodie simpleton father and chef master wife confirmed my growth. -Brent

On the pizza stone, ready to go in the oven.

Ingredients:
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza Dough
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Salmon
Artichoke Hearts, chopped
Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
There are no measurements with this pizza. It's pretty simple. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough. Mix together equal parts pizza sauce and sun-dried tomato pesto. Sprinkle the sauce with the artichoke hearts. Add however much cheese you'd like, and top with salmon. Bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pizza. If you intend on making is SUPER heavy, like Brent often prefers, consider pre-heating the dough for 2-3 minutes before adding the toppings. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Carnitas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I have been working on a developing a healthier carnitas recipe for months, trying different combinations of braising liquids, cuts of pork, spices and cooking times. After a few failed attempts, I have finally perfected the dish. I use pork tenderloin (pork loin was way too dry), half a beer (the entire beer was too watery), an orange, a few cloves of garlic and my taco seasoning as the dry rub. This dish is low maintenance, but requires planning ahead. We usually prepare carnitas on a Sunday, and have them ready to go for a quick weeknight meal. To prepare, rub the tenderloin with the taco seasoning, brown the meat, throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker, and eight hours later you'll have delicious, tender carnitas. We use the meat to build tacos with Trader Joe's corn & wheat tortillas, roasted tomatillo salsa (you'll never want store bought salsa verde again), avocado and cilantro. It's healthy, simple, delicious Mexifornian cooking. 

Carnitas
Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin, about 1.5 pounds
1 juicy orange
4 garlic cloves
2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2 bay leaves
1/2 a beer (drink the other half while you prepare the salsa)

Directions:
Season pork with taco seasoning. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic cloves. Season pork with another tablespoon of taco seasoning.

Pour beer and the juice of 1 orange in the crockpot, add bay leaves. Place pork in slow cooker and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust spices (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Fat Tacos

A few weeks ago Brent and I had a little too much fun sampling menu items at The Tripel. Although our bellies were satisfied, our food budget was not very happy. We challenged ourselves to make pantry items meals for the next few days. While digging around our kitchen cabinets we came across a huge bag of maseca and a can refried beans. That day the fat taco was born. This is less of a recipe, and more of a concept. We loaded them up with refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and cheese. Fat tacos were not a one-hit wonder. They're quick, easy, budget friendly, and tasty too! We've also topped them with chorizo, carnitas, and shredded chicken. The options are endless. 

                 

Ingredients:
2 cups maseca
1 1/4 cups water
Refried beans
Guacamole
Pico de Gallo
Shredded Mozzarella

Directions:
Combine Maseca, water, and salt and knead for five minutes or until masa is no longer sticky. Divide into 10 small balls. Flatten into thick tortillas approximately three inches in diameter. On a hot skillet or griddle, cook each taco for three minutes and then turn. Cook the fat tacos until golden. Repeat with remaining masa balls. Top with warm refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and a little bit of cheese.

Pasta Party!

Mama and Papa got me an imperia pasta machine a few years ago. With just a few ingredients my imperia creates fresh, fluffy, quick cooking pasta. This pasta machine makes tagliatelle, spaghetti or lasagna sheets, and you can also buy the ravioli attachment. Brent, Alaina, Jared and I had a Friday night in and made this fresh semolina egg pasta topped with Alaina's secret family recipe meat sauce. Scroll down to the bottom of this post. Be prepared to drool. Looks amazing, right? Although I can't share her family secret, this pasta will taste awesome with any sauce, or even just some olive oil, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Tonight I am making this dough, and attempting a spinach, mushroom and ricotta ravioli with parmesan rosemary oil drizzle. If all goes well, I'll be posting on that soon!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole white wheat flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
A pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1. Sift together whole white wheat flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides . When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
2. Knead dough either by hand or with a mixer for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth. Dust dough with semolina to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out dough with a pasta machine to whatever shape you like. I like the tagliatelle best! You can always use a roller if you don't have a pasta machine.
4. Bring water with salt to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 1 to 8 minutes depending on thickness. Drain and toss with sauce.

Portobello Penne with Caramelized Onion and Goat's Cheese

Portobello Penne with Caramelized Onion and Goat's Cheese is an onion lovers dream, calling for three large caramelized onions. I am also a mushroom fanatic, so I like to double batch this recipe, and have extra in the refrigerator for busy weeknights and lunches. If I am feeling extra fancy, I use Ritrovo corn penne pasta and throw in a mixture of wild mushrooms. Portobello Penne is not the most attractive meal in the world, but it tastes pretty good to Brent and I :)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3/4 pound penne
3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with extra Parmesan.

Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish

College football season is here.  Time for wings, nachos, hot dogs, and men sitting on the couch for hours. I get cheering for your alma mater, but why are men so passionate about games featuring teams with which they have no connection? I am currently watching Arizona vs. Oregon. Brent and I don't have any friends or family who have attended either school, but we've got to watch the game. Football Saturday's are perfect for playing in the kitchen. This recipe is a fresh and creative take on hot dogs, and a great idea for a football viewing party. Bobby Flay caught my attention with his genius idea of putting caprese salad on a sausage. Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish is spicy, yet refreshing. Although this meal is a little hard to eat, it is worth the mess.

Ingredients:
6 Hot Italian Sausages
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 pound fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the bread
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 large hot dog rolls
2 cloves garlic, halved

Directions:
Heat the grill for high direct grilling. Grill the sausages until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the sausages to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before removing to a plate.

Toss the tomatoes with the cheese, basil, parsley, capers, onions, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Slice the bread open and put on the grill, cut-side down, and grill until lightly golden brown. Remove and rub the surface with the garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Put a whole sausage on each roll and top with the caprese relish.