On-the-Fly Pork Lettuce Wraps and Kitchen Scrap Pasta: How NOT to Handle a Kitchen Injury

Yeesh - trying this again, as my computer ate the last entry for a snack...


Anywho! Sorry about the lack of postings. Life has been a flurry of World Cup games (online, not in person), family visits, and debates about the merits of seeing through a short sale. June and July are particularly packed schedules, which starts with the celebration of Tony's birthday, leading into the party for our 3rd anniversary (the "leather" anniversary, apparently), and culminating with the probably over-indulgent recognition of my birthday week.

The concept of the "birthday week" stems from my final days in Clemson, SC. I somehow convinced my friends to combine my birthday and good-bye parties (I was Pittsburgh-bound at the time) into one continuous festival. I hadn't even realized what I'd pulled off until my buddy Ryan brought it to my attention. And thus, the birthday week was born.

Now, my birthday week zeal has mellowed out a bit over the years, but I'm still a big proponent of the idea. I mean - let's face it: The further out you find yourself from your early 20's, the less inclined you are to celebrate.

F*ck that, dude. I say, take the time to create a daily homage to your own personal New Year. Seven days, at a minimum. Celebrate as you see fit: Go to a drive-in movie and sneak 3 friends in inside the trunk of your car. Do shots whose names contain the words "bomb" or "eraser." Overshoot your daily calorie intake by 1,000 at a jazz brunch buffet. Start with dessert.

That said, be sure to exercise caution in the midst of all this excess. Don't, for example, let your glasses fog up while draining just-off-the-oven pasta, leaving you blind for all intents and purposes and unable to see that you're losing your grip on the hot pot and are about to pour scalding water over your left hand. Not the best way to end an evening.

I'd also recommend avoiding my less than mature solution of dealing with the pain of a burn by drinking a lot whiskey. A LOT. While it does dull the pain a good bit, you'll fail to notice that the pain is actually being transferred to other parts of your body. Say, the head that will be pounding against your skull like a prisoner trying to bust out of his cell the next morning. Just sack up and put some ice on it. Or a cold beer.

So, in short: Celebrate. Preferably without any physical injury to yourself or others.

And now onto the recipes...

Today's dishes are improvisations necessitated by growling tummies and a tapped-out grocery budget. They come together fairly quickly and can be tailored to meet your individual flavor preferences. I really recommend thick-cut bacon for the pasta dish - it creates enough fat that you needn't add any oil to cook the garlic and onions.

Enjoy!

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Kitchen Scrap Pasta

1/2 lb pasta of your choice (we went with thin spaghetti)

1/2 bag (approx 3 - 4 cups) spinach, washed and dried

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small onion or shallot, diced

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed

2 strips thick-cut bacon (4 if you're using regular bacon)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

salt & pepper to taste

lemon wedges

* a few tbsp beef or veggie broth (if necessary)

1. Prepare the pasta, boiling until it's al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Don't burn your hand. Place to the side.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Take the bacon out and let it cool. Leave the rendered grease in the pan.
3. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion is translucent (about 3 - 4 minutes). Be sure to scrape up the brown bacon bits from the bottom of the skillet.
4. Add the spinach, in batches, to the pan. Add 1-2 tbsp of beef or veggie broth if the skillet is dry or the spinach is scalding. Cook the spinach down until wilted. Add the beans. Season with oregano, salt and pepper.
5. Chop up the now-cooled bacon and return it to the pan.
6. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet (you can also mix this in a nice sized bowl/serving dish, if you prefer). Add the reserved water. Stir in the Parmesan and mix until it's formed a slightly creamy sauce.
7. Serve the finished pasta with a lemon wedge and possibly some extra cheese.

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On-the-Fly Pork Lettuce Wraps

4 boneless thin-cut pork loin chops

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp onion salt or onion powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 head Bibb lettuce

6 carrots, julienned

1 cup snow peas, julienned

Dipping Sauce:

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 clove garlic

1 tsp lime juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/4 to 1/3 cup water

cayenne pepper or sriracha sauce (you can play with the amount or
leave it out entirely depending on your preference for heat)

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients together either in a blender or a large container (big enough to dip an immersion blender into). Mix together until the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Pour into a large bowl (or several smaller ones) and set aside.
2. Place the pork chops in a freezer bag and and the canola and sesame oils, garlic, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and onion powder. Seal the bag, mix the ingredients together, and place the bag in a dish on its side. Place the dish inside the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
3. Julienne the carrots and snow peas. Place each in a separate bowl and set aside.
4. Heat a stove-top grill plate (we used our Forman grill, though you could cook these on a regular grill or in a heavy pan) over med-high heat. Take the chops out of the fridge and cook on the grill until done, about 4 -5 minutes per side. Remove the chops from the heat, cover and cool for 5 - 10 minutes.
5. Separate lettuce leaves. Wash the leaves and shake off the excess moisture. Place the leaves on a plate.
6. Finely slice the chops on the diagonal. To serve, place some of the pork, snow peas, and carrots on a lettuce leaf. Either wrap the leaf like a burrito or eat it like a taco. Dip the wrap into the peanut sauce.

WWBBD: Hammy Figure Skaters & Mac n Cheese for Grown-ups

Sincerest apologies for the blogging delay. Things (mostly house hunting) have been busy. And exhausting. Good lord finding a house is a pain that just won't quit. On top of costing amounts of money I haven't handled since I last played Monopoly, checking out houses often leaves Tony and I without time to make a proper meal.

Thank the Almighty for DVR. And for Food Network, which helps us unwind from a long day of property scouting as well as providing ideas for quick and easy meals.

It also provides some seriously campy entertainment. My new culinary guilty pleasure is without a doubt the latest in celeb-tv-food making:

Holy camp, Batman! WWBBM is a 30-minute can of ham. Mr. Boitano is a tad on the fey side at times and his show is about as cheese-tastic as...well, men's figure skating, but he does make some mean eats.

Case in point: Brian Boitano's Cheese Cart Mac n Cheese. It's the adult version of the boxed stuff, complete with toasted bread crumbs. SERIOUS YUM.

Great news! The kind folks over at innBooklyn decided to share some delectable and eco-friendly picnic gear and treats with yours truly. Tony and I get to try out some compostable picnic wear by Wasara whilst chowing down on pickled cauliflower, beets, and peppers. I've not actually had the opportunity to eat any of these, so if you have some recipe ideas for how to enjoy them, feel free to share!

I'm hoping to have some good news (and a second attempt at vegan Mac n Cheese, 'cause I just can't get enough of the stuff) by week's end. And I swear I will get that give away up on the boards. It's good to pass that kind of karma along, right?

Holla...

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Cheese Cart Mac and Cheese

(Recipe courtesy Brian Boitano and the Food Network)

Ingredients:
1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk, at room temperature
1/4 pound Asiago cheese, shredded
1/4 pound fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 pound Gouda cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Salt

Crunchy Garlic Bread Crumb Topping:

1/4 cup butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups fresh bread crumbs, toasted*
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes.
   
   
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk in the flour and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and whisk well to get rid of all the lumps. Bring to a simmer. Stir in cheeses and season with white pepper and salt, to taste. Drain the pasta from the water and return it back to the pot. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
   
   
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the parsley, bread crumbs, and Parmesan. Mix until the bread crumbs are completely coated with butter mixture.
   
   
4. Serve the mac and cheese in small bowls topped with the garlic bread crumbs.

Cook's Note:

If you can't find fresh bread crumbs then cut about a quarter of a loaf of crusty Italian bread into small cubes. Add the cubes in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Put the bread crumbs onto a sheet pan and toast in a preheated 375 degree F oven until lightly brown and toasted, about 8 minutes.

Toasted Mushroom Pasta: The First Signs of Spring and Setting Goals for 2010

Despite a crippling winter this year, it seems that Spring is taking its first steps into the sunlight.

Of course, this could be the beginning of an equally crippling summer, but I can enjoy the more temperate mid-season for the time being. I was (finally) able to start training for the Baltimore 10-Miler with my buddy, Indira - outdoors no less - running along the pathways through Patterson Park. It was all very scenic.

So Spring, in short, is a good motivator. The warmer temperatures and natural sunlight inspire me to get off the couch, clean off the cobwebs and seasonal affect disorder, and get to work on some of my other goals for the year, such as...

Realistic Goal for 2010 #1: Finish and return copy of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" that I borrowed from my mother-in-law about, oh, 16 months ago.

Not-so-realistic Goal for 2010 #1: Learn to surf. Preferably without significant physical damage to self, others, or the local fauna in the process.

Realistic Goal for 2010 #2: Finish crochet projects for numerous, numerous number of children recently and soon-to-be born to various friends and loved ones.

Not-so-realistic Goal for 2010 #2: Convince NZ government that they should pay for me to live in Wellington.

See? There's loads to do!

The sunlight also inspired me to try something on the lighter side of home cooking, so last night I borrowed from Ali at Give Me Some Oven and made some Toasted Mushroom Pasta.

As I've mentioned before, I'm generally not a big fan of mushrooms. But, I've learned that statement is generally limited to button mushrooms. And olives, which suck mightily, but that's another post entirely. Anywho, substitute baby bellas (left over from last week's pot roast) and you've got yourself a meal! A friggin' tasty one at that, too...

(Admittedly not the best photos, but trust me - it's deceptively delicious.)

Happily, this recipe is pretty easy to convert into a vegetarian dish. It's also easy on your budget and personal time, which is all kinds of good in my book. Make it while listening to Paolo Nutini's new album as you finish the bottle of white wine partially used in the recipe.

You'll be toasting the new Spring all evening.

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Toasted Mushroom Pasta

(From Give Me Some Oven and adapted from No Tea After 12)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

8 oz. fresh mushrooms (approx 2 cups), cleaned and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ cup dry white wine

8 oz macaroni or other pasta

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

¼ cup cream

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

Method:

Heat a large heavy skillet over very high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Sautee the mushrooms until browned, but not cooked all the way through, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the parsley, garlic, oregano and cook for another minute or so. Pour in the wine and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and remaining sauce to a bowl, and set aside.

In another large skillet or saucepan, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil and the butter. Add the macaroni and stir it constantly until it is a deep golden brown (this should take about 5 minutes). Be sure to watch carefully, as the pasta can go from toasted to burnt very quickly!!

Once toasted, pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the pasta is al dente, or almost tender. (This should take approximately 10 minutes.)

Stir in the mushroom mixture and cream and cook for a few more minutes to let everything come together in a beautiful creamy, but not claggy sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and pepper. Taste for seasoning, add salt if needed, but the Parmesan is usually just salty enough. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley, and more Parmesan if you’d like.