Holy Tricolore!

Hello all, sorry for such a late update today. I made and ate this recipe at approximately 5 p.m., then was pulled into about a billion different directions causing my update to be about five hours late. Oops!

We start off our eighth cycle through Everyday Italian in the "Tricolore" section of the "Everyday Antipasti" chapter. As the name implies, "tricolore" refers to three colors, specifically the three colors of the Italian flag; red, white and green. How might one take the colors of the flag and translate them into a dish? Why by using tomatoes, cheese, and basil of course! Honestly, could it get any better? I think not.

Tonight's recipe was called "Panino Alla Margherita." Obviously, it was a panini. But, I would like to call mine the poor man's version of the panini. For starters, I was supposed to use "rustic white bread." In my attempt to save my own money and use the abundance of declining dining dollars I have here at school, I went shopping at the campus convenience store which is hardly any sort of specialty store. Instead, I bought some stone ground whole wheat bread (equally delicious, possibly more flavor).

On top of one of these bread slices I was supposed to place a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Though sometimes the sub line has fresh mozzarella displayed with the various salads offered in our convenience store, it did not have any, to my knowledge, this week. Luckily, I happened to have some light string cheese in my fridge that I was willing to use in its place. I sliced up my string cheese and placed it on the bread.

This is topped with some salt and pepper (which I of course had), and some fresh basil leaves. If I had asked for fresh basil leaves on campus, they would have laughed in my face. Dried basil took its place. Definitely not the same, but it worked just fine.

Next I placed two slices of tomato on the sandwich. I actually was able to scrounge up half a tomato from Katie's house (Lawn Ave, I owe you) and it's a good thing too. I was about to replace it with either tomato paste of crushed tomatoes. DEFINITELY not the same.

I seasoned this with more salt and pepper then placed the other piece of bread on top. The recipe then asks you to brush each side of the sandwich with oil. I opted for the EVOO spray, just as good AND fat-free.

You're supposed to cook the panini on a griddle or grill pan. I really didn't feel like lugging the George Foreman out just for a sandwich, so i just cooked it in a pan. Sure, it didn't have pretty grill marks, but it DID have a pretty golden brown color.

This was really quick and easy to make and very flavorful despite my many substitutions. The bread was nice and crispy, and the cheese was just melted enough to hold the sandwich together. The warm tomato was the star of the show. When you heat a tomato, it seriously brings about flavors that you didn't know it had. The basil enhances the flavor even more.

Did I mention that this was healthier than your average panini? Well it was. And it's the closest thing I've had to grilled cheese in a long time (and to be honest, it was way better than any grilled cheese I've ever made). I give this one two thumbs up.

All this talk of red, white and green definitely had me in Jersey Shore mode (sorry Alyssa Milano, I know you would take offense to that). I didn't fist pump, but I did think of Pauly D and his DJ equipment covered in the Italian flag. I tried to find of clip of this, but it was a situation.

All right I swear I'm done with the Jersey Shore references. Good night!

Sweet Tooth

Good evening and a belated Happy Thanksgiving to all!! I apologize for not updating at all over my Thanksgiving break, but you would be surprised in how little time there is to cook during a 10 day break. Especially when most of it consists of quality time on my couch, with my dog, and a crossword puzzle book. It was a MUCH needed break, and I DID get to cook a bit. I made a chocolate pudding pie for the holiday all from scratch (crust and filling!). Compared to last year's soupy mess that I called a banana cream pie, this year was much more successful and the pudding filling actually set.

And now, on to tonight! I made my fourth dessert from Everyday Italian tonight, and it too was a success. I am now about halfway through the "Everyday Fruit" section of the desserts chapter after making Cantaloupe, Strawberries, and Grapes with White Wine and Mint. After typing that, I'm now realizing I can hardly call what I made that name. It was more like Peaches and Raspberries with Grape Juice and Basil. Allow me to explain...

For starters, I live on a dry campus and am not of age to buy or consume alcohol. Therefore, the white wine aspect was right out. Instead, I used some white grape juice (I'm sure this is not remotely the same as white wine, but you take what you can get). I boiled this along with some sugar till it was dissolved.

Next, the fruit. Unfortunately, the fruit required for this recipe (aside from the grapes which I didn't think to buy while grocery shopping at home this weekend) is no longer in season. This didn't break my heart when it came to the cantaloupe, because I"m really not a big fan (to me, it tastes like what I would imagine nail polish remover would taste like. Not that I would know). As for the strawberries, I could have easily bought some frozen ones, but I already had some frozen raspberries, so I didn't really see a point in buying anything more. To replace the cantaloupe, I used some frozen peaches. Thankfully, in her introduction to this recipe, Giada gives us college cooks (or any cooks in general) permission to substitute any fruit we like. IN FACT, she even states that this recipe is good for using up leftover fruit.

I combined these two frozen fruits after thawing them and draining the majority of the liquids that resulted. Once the sugar and juice mixture had boiled for about two minutes, I removed it from the heat. At this point, I was supposed to add some chopped fresh mint. Well, I didn't have any mint (I use it so infrequently that buying it fresh just doesn't make sense). I remembered seeing many of Giada's dessert recipes on TV using basil, so I figured a bit of that would be a good enough replacement. I added this to the hot mixture, then poured it all over the fruit. You are then supposed to chill the dessert in the fridge for about two to eight hours. I did not want to wait. I think I gave it about 15 minutes.

Going into this dessert, I wasn't particularly "jazzed" about it because I'm more of a chocolate lover when it comes to sweets. The richer, the better. I really only get excited about a fruit dessert if there's some sort of flaky crust or crumble with it. However, this dessert was actually quite good! It wasn't overly sweet and the peaches and raspberries worked well together. The basil got lost amongst all the other ingredients, and I could see where the mint would fit in nicely, but it didn't detract from the dish at all.

The picture of the dessert in Giada's book is really pretty with the sugar mixture crystal clear and the whole thing in a pretty little glass. Lucky for Giada, she didn't have to use frozen fruit that creates some pink juice and she had pretty little glasses at her disposal. I must say though, the colors in mine above are nice. In Giada's words, "look at how pretty that is!"

And there you have it! I've been through Everyday Italian FOUR TIMES! I'm definitely not sick of this project yet. I look forward to cooking each recipe and sharing my stories every single time. I start from the beginning once again on Thursday with my take on another seafood appetiser. Stay tuned :)

Checca yoself...

...before you make another terrible pun. I may have another new love, and it's name is Checca Sauce. Not only is this "no-cook" sauce incredibly easy and quick to make, it's also incredibly delicious. Giada says that there is no point to making Checca sauce if tomatoes are not at the peak of their ripeness, but I did it anyway and it was still great.

The amount of time it took to make this sauce is basically the amount of time it took to make the pasta. As I brought the pasta water to a boil, I started the sauce by putting some cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, Parmesan cheese, basil, and oil into my chopper. I have to say, the best thing about my chopper is that I don't actually have to chop anything before adding it in there. It saves my hands from smelling like garlic for days on end. Anyhow, you pulse all of this together until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped, NOT pureed. No problem there. I pulsed it until it looked about the consistency of tabbouleh. If you don't know what that consistency is, then you probably haven't had tabbouleh and are therefore missing out on another delicious food.

Next, I transferred the sauce to a bowl and mixed in some salt, pepper, and mozzarella cheese. The recipe said to use some fresh mozzarella cut into cubes, but the shredded part-skim mozzarella I used seemed to work just fine.

Once the pasta was cooked to al dente, I tossed the sauce with it and I was ready to go! This whole "no-cook" sauce thing is great. Less mess, less time, but without cutting back on any flavor. Tomatoes and basil are always a winning combination and were the stars of the sauce. It was very fresh tasting. One thing I've noticed from all these recipes I've made is the spicy element of garlic. Especially raw garlic. I think the spice of the garlic in this sauce enhanced the flavors and kept them from being bland (since it's not really peak tomato season anymore).

As i was eating this, I realized this sauce would also be great as bruschetta. Some crispy Italian bread would've been perfect for soaking up the tomato juice that was left over once my pasta was gone but alas, I didn't have any. Anyway if you're looking for a very quick meal solution, I highly recommend this recipe!!

The next cooking day will be Friday when I take on another pasta dish: Orecchiette with Toasted Bread Crumbs!!

Side Note: I absolutely love that the sun is shining right now, but it's picking the most terrible spot in the sky to be at the moment. It's just at the top of my window shining directly on me and into my eyes (which are extremely light-sensitive). It's also in just the right place where I can't really avoid it unless I hover over my computer which is far from comfortable. Oh well, I'll take it shining in my eyes in the middle of the day over a dark cloudy or snowy October!

P.S. Happy Birthday Doug!

Olive Juice

This.....was fantastic. Not only was it quick, but it was extremely easy, and extremely flavorful. Tonight I made Giada's Tomato Sauce with Olives--the second recipe from the "Everyday Sauces" chapter in the "Everyday Tomato Sauces" section. The recipe requires four cups of her Marinara sauce which I highly recommend making the night before.

As I said in my post from last night, I made the Marinara sauce again much more successfully this time. I didn't forget any ingredients and managed to sustain only one minor injury. On top of all this, I didn't have to leave my room to make it (take a bow electric frying pan) and was able to watch BOTH So You Think You Can Dance and Glee. After making the sauce, I stored it in the fridge over night (I only had to make a half batch this time so I made it fit in one container).

The sauce, as expected, was even better the next day (I snuck a taste around lunchtime) so I was really excited to add a new dimension to it. For this sauce, you start by sauteing one and 1/4 cup of olives in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Me being the food cop that I am swapped out actual olive oil for EVOO spray, and only used six ounces of olives...because that's all that came in the can i had bought. I should also mention that you need to halve the olives before sauteing them. To this, you add one and 1/2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper (gotta love that spice!) and cook it for three minutes. After that, you reduce the heat, and add the marinara sauce.

As I let this heat, I ventured upstairs to cook some spaghetti to go with the sauce. I thought I was on the right track seeing as I even brought a lid for the pot with me this time. I let the water come to a boil, measured out the proper amount of pasta, and added it to the water (which I also remembered to salt!). I never break spaghetti before adding it to the pot and rarely have issues with it, until today. The spaghetti kept trying to escape the pot and I continuously tried to push it back in. It DID cooperate eventually, but some of it had hit the burner and created a kind of gross burning smell in the kitchen. I'm sure the kid that was doing his homework in there (yes, doing homework in the kitchen) was probably wondering how I managed to burn pasta, but it all worked out.

When I got back to my room, the sauce was heated all the way through and I drained my pasta. I had about a cup of pasta with a cup of sauce, and a little Pecorino Romano on top. This sauce...was money. It was much more rich in tomato flavor this time around, but still very fresh. The olives balanced out the richness with a bit of saltiness and the crushed red pepper gave it just enough spice. As I was eating it and re-reading the recipe, I realized I hadn't added the 1/2 of thinly sliced fresh basil, but then remembered I was feeling creative last night and had already added it then. The basil isn't very prominent in the sauce, but it keeps it light.

Again, dinner: successful. Tomorrow night is my first time attempting some semi-homemade pizza, and Sunday marks my next Giada mission. I will be delving back into the "Everyday Pasta, Polenta, and Risotto" with the Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Red Pepper Flakes recipe. YUM!

When Life Hands You Lemons...

...make Lemon Spaghetti! Or lemonade. But I promise that the former will be exponentially more delicious. Tonight was recipe number three out of Everyday Italian and if you haven't figured it out by now, it was Lemon Spaghetti. It is the first recipe from Chapter Three which is Everyday Pasta, Polenta, and Risotto (side note: I really like my approach to this book. It's nice to have each chapter introduced slowly, don't you think?). The first section of this chapter is once again, Fresh From the Pantry, so the recipes are fairly simple.

This recipe was incredibly simple and I highly suggest that you give it a try. That being said, I did make some modifications to it in order to make it a bit healthier (I'm sure Giada won't mind. She doesn't understand what it's like being over a size 2). The first thing the recipe asks you to do is make the sauce. It serves four, and calls for 2/3 cup of EVOO, 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and salt and pepper (though those are measured in almost all recipes, I usually just do it to taste). For those who don't know, I am a Weight Watchers point counter and have certain point values that I find acceptable for each meal. When I entered this one into the recipe builder, I decided that 14 points for a serving just wasn't going to fly with me. Therefore, I made some changes for my single serving dish.

First, instead of using that much EVOO, I used just one tablespoon. Since it called for the same amount of cheese, I also used just one tablespoon of that. I didn't actually measure out the lemon juice for it (it has a point value of zero as it is), but the recipe said either 1/2 cup or the fresh juice of two lemons. I bought one lemon and squeezed it to death and that was fine. You then whisk it all together.

Next, I cooked up one cup of angel hair pasta. The recipe calls for dried spaghetti, but that wasn't as readily available to me and I had a little over a cup of angel hair left in the box. I really don't think it matters, though I do love dried pasta. After cooking the pasta, you need to reserve one cup of the water if you're making the full 4 servings. Seeing as I only made one, I saved 1/4 cup.

Once the pasta was drained, I put it on a plate, added my water (I didn't even use the whole 1/4 cup. It's just to keep the pasta moist), then added the sauce. I also sprayed some fat-free olive oil spray on top of this just to give it more of the olive oil taste without the olive oil guilt. On top of that, you add some fresh chopped basil (or dried if you're on my budget) and some grated lemon zest (...or not. I don't have a grater and something tells me that trying to finely chop a lemon peel will NOT have the same effect).

Here is my explanation for the picture. Just as I was sitting down to take the picture and eat this delicious meal, my phone rang. It was Katie and she was at the door so I had to run downstairs to let her in. As we walked back to my room I started telling her a story and as we sat down in my room I began eating without thinking about the purpose of the meal. Just as I had about two bites left, I remembered that I hadn't taken a picture and I simply could NOT let this blog be posted without one (I like to have proof that this all actually happens). I quickly took one between bites and there you have it!

My next cooking day is Friday when I take on Grilled Shrimp (dun dun dun...). Let's hope this turns out better than the tuna. I'm sure I will have some updates in between cause a girl's gotta eat!