Cook Once Eat Twice – Page 5

July 27, 2012July 28, 2012

One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #1 Salad

Rotisserie Chicken Salad

One fully cooked rotisserie chicken

One bag salad

Salad dressing

Carve the chicken off the bones. Set aside.
Open one bag of salad into a large serving bowl.
Add sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc.
Arrange the chicken on top.
Serve with your favorite bottled salad dressing.

It’s been an interesting week. I really didn’t cook that much. When it’s hot outside, you don’t feel like cooking and you just want something light. With this recipe I’m starting two new Tags:

One Rotisserie Chicken 50 Meals and
Super Simple

Every grocery store now sells Rotisserie Chickens. It’s cooked. All you have to do is cut it up. Bagged salads are the greatest food invention since sliced bread. You should always have several different varieties of salad dressing in the house. Add a few chopped fresh vegetables. Grab a loaf of bread, a nice Chardonnay and you have dinner.

Yes, the picture was taken with a cell phone. Super simple like this recipe.

July 22, 2012

Baked Penne with Two Sauces

Baked Penne with Two Sauces

In the North End of Boston there is a marvelous Italian restuarant named Giacomo’s. The place is small and cramped, service is brusque. The food is exquisite which certainly explains this eatery’s well deserved reputation. My first encounter was many years ago when my brother and I stopped in for dinner. I ordered Seafood Linguine and the waiter asked

“Red, white, or pink?”

“I know what red is and I know what white is. What’s pink?”

“Red and white together.”

Imagine a pasta dish with the consistency of a good macaroni and cheese plus a rich hearty ragu. I bought back my memories and created a baked pasta with two sauces.

Turkey Ragu (about a quart, more if you like your pasta moist)
Parmesan sauce (see recipe below)
One pound box of penne (rigatoni works well also, or use your favorite pasta shape)
Grated parmesan cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese, about two cups
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Bring several quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta until barely al dente. The pasta should still be firm to the touch and will cook through during the baking process while absorbing the sauces. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking prepare the parmesan sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook briefly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly to remove all lumps. Add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. When the sauce begins bubbling at the edges and thickens, turn off heat and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Take a baking pan large enough for the pasta and grease the pan with extra virgin olive oil.

5. Place partially cooked pasta in the pan, add parmesan sauce, and mix well.

6. Cover pasta mixture with ragu, mixing gently. If your family likes pasta moist, use more ragu.

7. Sprinkle grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses on top.

8. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. If your family likes pasta a little drier, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time.

9. Serve with a nice fresh green vegetable, salad, and bread.

Parmesan Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Giacomo’s Restaurant
355 Hanover St
Boston, MA

July 20, 2012July 20, 2012

Iki Marinade

Iki Marinade

1/4 C. olive oil

1/4 C. soy sauce

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. ketchup

2 garlic cloves, smashed

Dash red pepper flakes

Makes enough marinade for 1 to 1.5 pounds of meat. Double the marinade recipe if you are cooking larger quantities. Works well with chicken and beef, but was originally crafted for pork.

The Story Behind Iki

A long time ago when the kids were small we had wonderful neighbors with a pool. Naturally I befriended them. We got into this entertaining rhythm where during the cooler months we would fix suppers befitting the season. And during the summers we were over to the neighbor’s backyard for grilling poolside. Our friends had friends from whom they got this marinade recipe. I remember these people well. Sam was from Venezuela and in the oil business. His wife was from the Philippines. Her name was Iki.

We really didn’t know what else to call this recipe. It was Iki’s marinade recipe. Over the years it just got shortened to Iki.

How about some Iki tonight? Certain to become a family favorite.

Tips

Flatten boneless chicken breasts so that the pieces cook evenly on the grill. If the breasts are large, halve them, then flatten. I prefer boneless thighs with this marinade. Again, flatten a bit before grilling. Marinate your meat at least one hour before cooking and bring the meat to room temperature before grilling.

Boneless country style pork ribs are wonderful with Iki.

If you’re not grilling, try marinating chicken breasts or thighs on the bone and roast in the oven.

July 18, 2012August 7, 2012

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Growing up in New Jersey a lot of comfort food was Italian. I’m not bragging, but I cook some mean Italian. The only problem was my Italian never quite tasted the same as the Italian I grew up with. So you keep searching, trying different recipes until you come across The One. Well, almost.

This recipe is a new find, liberally adapted from Giada De Laurentiis‘ recipe of the same name. The last time I made this dish I used fresh chicken sausage seasoned with feta cheese and spinach. The time before I used chicken sausage with basil and added boneless chicken thighs. Try pork sausages in this dish. I’m pretty confident the end result will be tasty.

Serve over rice or pasta. A nice red California Zinfandel would be awesome. Don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Napkins! Don’t forget the napkins!

Sausage, Peppers and Onions

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian Chicken sausage

1 red bell pepper sliced
1 sweet yellow onion sliced
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried basil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T tomato paste
1 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.

Over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine and tomatoes. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Sides

A simple green salad or fresh green beans sautéed in olive oil and garlic completes the meal. Doubling the recipe will give you plenty of leftovers for sandwiches later in the week. This dish freezes well.

Addendum – sweet Marsala wine. The original post omitted sweet. But if you use dry Marsala, let me know how it turns out.