No Meat Tonight -Pasta, Nuts, Fresh Herbs

Below is a fabulous recipe to throw together any night of the week. No meat tonight your protein comes from nuts and cheese.

Pasta, Nuts & Fresh Herbs

Deborah Anzinger P.H.Ec.

Serves 4

Equipment: large pot, food processor

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

1 lb pasta, papparadelle or penne or favorite, cooked

Pasta Sauce

2 handfuls fresh roasted almonds or pecans or favorite

1 large bunch fresh basil leaves, or throw in a little flat leaf parsley or cilantro or favorite herb

1 clove garlic or more

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1-2 handfuls slim cut parmigiano-reggiano or aged percorino cheese

4-6 tomatoes, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Order of Events

1.    Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water.

2.    Add pasta sauce ingredients, except for tomatoes, salt and pepper, to the food processor and blend until smooth.

3.    While your pasta is draining in the colander, pour blended sauce ingredients into pot.

4.    Add ¼ cup pasta water, chopped tomatoes and cooked pasta to pot. Stir, adding more pasta water if necessary until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.    Serve immediately with more grated cheese if desired.

Table Talk

This dish is simple. Even without exact measurements, with fresh ingredients, you will knock it out of the park every time.

If the nuts are fresh you do not need to roast them. I love the taste of roasted nuts. Buy a large package of raw nuts; roast them all at once on a jelly roll pan in a 400 F oven for 10-15 minutes. Cool completely store them in the fridge in an airtight bag. Alternately roast nuts in a frying pan on high for 5-8 minutes, flipping regularly.

Citrus with Cocktails Baby

The weekend is here!  Boo Ha cold weather I am making a Gin Fizz.  

So long G&T. 
A recent trip to Ontario introduced me to Dillons small batch gin and I have converted to the Gin Fizz.
Dillons is a classic distilled gin crafted in copper pots. It is unfiltered to maintain its flavour, its base is the local Niagara grape, its finished by sending vapour through 22 botanicals. The flavour is so amazing that I have traded in the tonic for club soda. If the lemon or lime juice is fresh and sweet, try it with a meyer lemon, you can leave out the simple syrup. Alas I can't find Dillons Gin in Alberta but I have stocked my bar with a bounty of small batch gins and I'll let you know how things progress!

Cocktail Gin Fizz

Equipment: Pitcher or Shaker, tall or high ball glasses

Servings: 2

Ingredients for Two

Ice

3 oz gin

11/2 oz fresh lemon or lime juice

1-2 oz simple syrup or 2 tsp super fine sugar or to taste

Club soda

Order of Events

1. Pour all ingredients over ice in a mixing container, pitcher or shaker except club soda.
2. Shake or stir and strain into 2 high ball glasses.
3. Fill with club soda.
4. Traditionally no garnish but I love a slice of citrus and a bit of mint.
5. Repeat

Simple Syrup for Cocktails

Ingredients

2 parts water

1 part sugar

Order of Events

1. Boil 2 parts water and 1 part sugar in a pot, stirring to dissolve sugar.

2. Cool completely before using.

Keeps for 6 months refrigerated 

Citrus & Fish

I live in Alberta and today, Wednesday April 2, it is snowing! Tonight I am eating an easy meal of fish, veggies and rice topped off with bright lemon and dreaming of  a hot summer sun.


Fish en Papillote

Oven temperature: 400F

Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes

Equipment: jelly roll pan, parchment paper

Ingredients

4 cups cooked jasmine rice

8 (4- ounce) Fish Fillets, Cod, Sole, Tilapia, Halibut, Flounder or other white fish

4 green onions, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 carrots, thinly sliced lengthwise

4 tsp olive oil

4 tsp white wine or lemon juice

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp butter
2 thin slices lemon

8 sprigs fresh thyme

Fresh ground black pepper

8 sheets of parchment or baking paper approx. 13 X 13 inches

Order of Events

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Lay parchment papers out on the counter ready to assemble.

3. Place ½ cup of cooked rice on each piece of parchment. Top with a fish fillet. Top each fillet with green onions and carrots.

4. Top packets with ½ tsp each of olive oil and white wine or lemon juice. Crush garlic into salt and chop fine, sprinkle on top.

5. Top with a dot of butter, 2 slices lemon, sprig of fresh thyme and fresh ground black pepper.

6. Pull edges of parchment paper together and fold over a number of times. Fold ends in and tuck under. Tightly seal the edges around the ingredients. Or Pull the sides of the parchment up and tie tightly with oven proof string.

7. Place packets on a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with sides as some juices may escape. Bake in the centre of the oven until the fish is opaque and the vegetables are tender crisp, 10-15 minutes. Carefully open one packet (watching out for steam) to check for doneness; fish should flake with a fork. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

8. Serve directly in the parchment on a plate. This keeps the fish warm until everyone sits down. For variety choose your favourite veggies thinly sliced.

Staying with Citrus / Citrus, Herb & Bean Dip

Oh dreary Canadian weather, where art though spring? This week I am staying with citrus.

Appetizer - Fresh Herb & Bean Dip

Equipment: Large bowl

Servings: 8-12

Ingredients

1 19 oz can cooked white kidney beans, drained, rinsed ( 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic

Zest & juice from 1 lemon (1Tbsp zest, 1 Tbsp juice)

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup packed fresh herbs, flat leaf parsley or basil or favorite delicate herb

French Stick / Fresh Veggies

Order of Events

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until mixed through.

2. Put dip into a serving bowl and rest in the fridge 1 hour before serving.
3. Slice French stick into rounds and slice each round in half.
4. Serve Fresh Herb & Bean dip with chunks of French sticks.
5. Assemble the appetizer plate. Each plate should have a dollop of bean dip, garnished with lemon zest and parsley, vegetable sticks, French sticks, olives