Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Recipe by New York Times Cooking

This might be a simple dish to prepare, but it's full of bright, sophisticated flavors. This a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on cured pork, pecorino cheese and tomato.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of unsliced pancetta or prosciutto
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pounds canned tomatoes, preferably imported Italian
1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried bucatini or perciatelli, preferably imported Italian
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino, romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut the pancetta or prosciutto into chunks less than one-half inch thick. Place in a saucepan with the olive oil and fry over low heat for 15 minutes, until all the fat has been rendered out and the meat is very crisp. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onion to the pan and saute over medium heat for five minutes.

Drain the tomatoes, finely chop them and add to the onion in the pan. Season with red-pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil and add salt to taste. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the brand. Drain well.

Transfer the cooked sauce to a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and the reserved meat and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the cheese and mix very well. Transfer the pasta to a warm platter and serve immediately.

Italian Scrambled Eggs

Italian Scrambled Eggs

This is a great Sunday morning breakfast for your special someone. It's easy to make and delicious!

Ingredients:

5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Feta cheese (2 ounces), crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach

Directions:

Place eggs in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk until lightly beaten. Add salt, pepper and feta cheese; whisk to combine.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes and cook 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach; cover and cook 1 - 2 minutes or until spinach starts to wilt. Stir mixture. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook until eggs are soft-scrambled, gently stirring to incorporate vegetables.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2/3 cup chopped bell pepper (mix red / yellow / orange)
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
3 green onions, sliced
15 kalamata or black olives, sliced in half
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss together the salad ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle juice on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wilted Quinoa Spinach Salad

Wilted Quinoa Spinach Salad
Oringinal recipe by Taste of Home
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/quinoa-wilted-spinach-salad

Here's another healthy quinoa salad recipe. You can enjoy this salad warm or cold. I prefer chilled.

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 package (6 ounce) fresh baby spinach, torn
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12 - 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, combine the warm quinoa, spinach and cranberries. For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the oil, orange juice, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in onion. Pour over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with pecans before serving.

10 servings

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Spaghetti Puttanesca
This recipe was adapted from David Rocco's Dolce Vita
 Cookingchanneltv.com

"Spaghetti Puttanesca" (pronounced spaghetti putta'neska). The name of this pasta dish is very controversial. In Italian, it means "spaghetti in the style of a prostitute". The name is often said to have originated with the ladies, because it was quick enough to make in between appointments, or that the aroma of the dish lured the clients in from the streets. Regardless of the meaning, this pasta dish is delicious. I loved everything about it. The tomatoes, olive oil, anchovies, olives, capers and garlic all work well together.

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
4 - 5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Crushed red pepper flakes
4 - 6 anchovy filet's, coarsely chopped
1 (6 ounce) can, or more black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes with juices, hand crushed
Fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

While the spaghetti cooks in salted boiling water, prepare the sauce.

Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste. When the garlic is golden, add the anchovies, olives, capers, and walnuts.

Let the mixture cook for about 1 minutes before pouring the hand crushed plum tomatoes with juices into the pan. Cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat.

About a minute before the al dente stage, drain the spaghetti and add it to the saucepan, allowing it to finish cooking in the sauce. Sprinkle the spaghetti with freshly chopped parsley and transfer to a pasta bowl. Serve immediately.

Quinoa and Black Beans

Quinoa and Black Beans

Serve this salad chilled.  The cayenne pepper can be substituted with 8 drops Tabasco sauce, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper or chili flakes.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup quinoa
1  1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Mix quinoa into onion mixture and cover with vegetable broth; season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes; mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Looking for another quinoa salad? If yes, here's a great tasting quinoa salad recipe.

Zesty Quinoa Salad
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2013/04/zesty-quinoa-salad.html

Chocolate Pecan Carmels

Chocolate Pecan Caramels
Recipe submitted by Lani May Gumm

These caramels are a must for your Christmas gift boxes.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened, divided
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil; butter the foil with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chops; set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees (firm-ball stage).

Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool completely before cutting.

Yield: about 2 1/2 pounds (about 6 3/4 dozen).

Note: You should test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212 degrees. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.

Recipe submitted by Lani May Gumm