Roast Beef Salad Over Baby Greens, Cranberries, Red Onion, Toasted Walnuts and Crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese

I was trying to think of something a bit different to make with the little piece of roast beef left over from Friday nights dinner.  I decided it was about time for a dinner salad so I came up with this Roast Beef Salad over baby greens, cranberries, sliced red onion, toasted walnuts, crumbled Maytag blue cheese and garlic toasts.  

I started by cuting the beef up into little cubes and placing them in a bowl with 2 celery stalks cut up into a small dice.  I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and tiny bit of cayenne pepper.  Next, I combined about 2 tablespoons of sour cream and the same amount of mayonnaise, blended them well and poured it over the cubed roast beef and celery.  Mix all together and refrigerator for several hours to allow the flavors to come together.

For the greens I washed and dried a mix of organic baby greens and placed them in a very large bowl with thinly sliced red onion, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and crumbled blue cheese.  I dressed it with red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.  Tossed it really well to combine and placed it on a plate as a bed for the roast beef salad.  I topped it with a few spoonfulls of roast beef salad.  

Brush olive oil on sliced french bread and place under the broiler.  Watch closely and turn over on the other side so both get brown and crusty.  When they are finished rub with a garlic clove and serve with the salad.   

Eye Roast of Beef and Garlic Fingerling Potatoes

Usually on Friday night I do not indulge in such a hearty meal, but I had dinner with Nan last night and she treated me to this fabulous roast beef dinner.  Actually, this eye roast was in my freezer and I put it in the refrigerator to begin to thaw on Wednesday night, thinking I would perhaps fix it on Thursday.  However, I realized it would not be ready to cook until Friday and it was really too big for just me. Nan offered to pick up the roast and prepare it at her house, which she did along with some garlic roasted fingerling potatoes and a great salad too. 

This was about a 2 pound eye roast which was seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes. It was just a little pink in the middle which was good, however, ideally I would like it a bit more rare.  I usually take the temperature of a roast with an instant read thermometer and remove it when the meat reaches 125 degrees.  I think we took this roast out at 133 degrees.  The meat should rest for about 15-20 minutes before carving, during which time the temperature probably went a bit higher still.  

The fingerling potatoes were cut in half lengthwise to preserve their "fingerlike" appearance.  They were tossed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, about 5 smashed garlic cloves and salt and pepper and place in a shallow roasted pan.  They cooked in the same oven with the roast beef (400 degrees) for about 30 minutes or until brown on the outside and tender in the middle.  

I love horseradish with roast beef and, while it didn't make it into the picture, be assured I did have quite a dollop with this meal.  Nan made gravy, which she liberally ladled over her dinner, but I rarely eat gravy (I will admit to a few drops on my potatoes).   I think that's it.  Now, go forth and cook.    

Nacho Taco Salad

Mexican Thursday night!  This week, for Survivor night (for those who are wondering...I am a  loyal Survivor watcher since the first episode 10 years ago and I have a longstanding tradition of Mexican type food on Thursday night), I decided to have a sort of taco salad and nacho combination.  I think if I pretended it was a salad, perhaps that would make it more healthy.  Whatever it was, it was tasty!

I piled some tortilla chips in a shallow baking dish and topped with shredded Pepper Jack cheese.  Place the chips and cheese in a preheated 425 degree oven and cook until the cheese melts over the chips.  Remove from the oven and top with a spoonful of taco meat (ground beef browned and mixed with taco seasoning and 1 tablespoon of ketchup which is the secret ingredient) followed by shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and home made guacamole (see recipe for guacamole on January 14 entry). 

Blue Plate Alert: Diner Style Patty Melt

I can not definately recall the first time I had a Patty Melt, but I think it was at the lunch counter at Pine Ridge Golf Course where I worked when I was in high school. It is an old fashioned diner meal and I'm not sure how many still make it.  I must admit that I usually turn to the Patty Melt when I am craving a burger but I don't have a bun.  I generally always have some good crusty bread on hand, though not always rye which is traditional.  Such was the case last night.  

A Patty Melt is basically a cooked hamburger placed between two pieces of bread (usually rye, though I used sour dough) and topped with swiss cheese, grilled onions and thousand island dressing.   The hamburger sandwich is then buttered on both sides and grilled as you would a grilled cheese or panini. It is fantastic and a great alternative to the usual burger on a bun.  I made the thousand island dressing by combining 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of sweet pickle relish, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of garlic powder, a pinch of cayenne and salt and pepper.  For those of you who remember, it is similar to Big "H" Sauce, which is also much like Big Mac sauce.  It is also delicious on salad, fabulous as a dipping sauce for steamed or boiled shrimp and also quite tasty with onion rings (particularly if you also add a spoonful of horseradish).

The salad I had was simple mixed spring greens which I washed thoroughly (despite the container saying it was ready to eat) and dried completely with the salad spinner.  A simple dressing of 2 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 or 1 1/2 parts red wine vinegar makes it the perfect palate cleansing side to this Diner Style Patty Melt.     

Chicken Fried Rice

Most of the time, when I make rice for dinner, I am sure to have extras in order to fix some version of fried rice the following night.  Fried rice is best prepared with rice that is a day old because it tends to loose its moisture and will be less likely to stick together.  I have previously posted a  recipe for shrimp fried rice and this version, made with chicken is very similar, very simple to do at home and very delicious!

It is helpful to prepare all of the ingredients before starting to cook because once the process begins there is very little time from start to finish.  Start with having your left over rice ready to go and then mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and about a 1 inch knob of fresh ginger and set aside.  Next, chop about a 1/4 cup of onion and other vegetables you wish to include such as broccoli, celery, carrots, etc., I used red bell pepper because that is what I happened to have in the refrigerator.  Dice 1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast into small cubes (you can also substitute rotisserie chicken, or left over chicken as well). In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of chili garlic paste and 1 teaspoon of sweet chili sauce.  Crack 1 egg in a small bowl and whisk to break up the yolk and combine well with the whites. For garnish I thinly sliced 1 scallion and finely chopped 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro.   

Now, preheat a large skillet (or wok if you have one) over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of peanut or canola oil.  When the pan is nice and hot add the whisked egg to the pan and scrabble (this should only take about 10-15 seconds).  When finished set aside for use at the very end.  To the same pan, add the vegetables and the chopped onion and stir fry for a minute or two.  Next add the garlic and ginger being careful not to let them burn and again stir fry for a few minutes.  Add the chopped chicken, followed by the rice and stir to combine and warm through.  Place the reserved scrabbled egg back in the pan and thoroughly incorporate in the fried rice.  Pour over the soy sauce mixture, turn off the heart and toss, being sure to remove any tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Serve hot and garnished with the sliced scallions and chopped cilantro.

Tagine Chicken

Recently, I was shopping a local "Tuesday Morning" when I saw a very small ceramic Tagine which I instinctively purchased.  When I shop, many times I get carried away, especially when I come across the cool cooking accessories which are contained in the photos of the many cookbooks I read.  This is a perfect example of just such a situation.  Every exotic cookbook and culinary magazine contains colorful photos of Moroccan cuisine being prepared in a beautiful clay Tagine pot over an open flame.  How can you not want to try it out, right?  Before last night, I have never eaten Moroccan or African food and I certainly have never endeavored to prepare it either.   I would not consider insulting the Moroccan or African people by claiming that my dinner was in anyway an authentic Tagine meal,  but for not knowing what to expect and for a first time effort, it was really delicious!  Totally different spices and flavors than those I usually use and a very delightful change, indeed. 

The first important piece of information to note is that the ceramic or clay type Tagine that I purchased can not be heated directly over an open flame or in an oven hotter than 350 degrees.  There are some Tagine's that can be placed over flame, but the one I purchased can not.  Therefore, it needed to be gently heated over a flame diffuser, which is the black disc you will notice the Tagine sitting on in the first photo, which took a long time to achieve.  However, after 30 minutes or so the Tagine and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 garlic clove I placed in the bottom part were hot enough for the chicken.  I used 1 large chicken thigh (I told you it was a teeny, tiny Tagine just big enough for 1 piece of chicken....not a smart purchase) and placed it skin side down in the hot olive oil.  I browned the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side which really just rendered some of the fat and did not really create any brown color.  I removed the chicken and set it aside on a plate and added 1/2 of a sliced onion and sauteed that for about 5 minutes.  To the onions I added 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 1/4 cup of white wine and combined to form a light broth.  Next, return the chicken, skin side up on top of the onion mixture. Scatter over a handful of raisins (you could also substitute dried prunes or apricots or even use any combination of the three) and sprinkle over a spice blend which is made of the following: 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon tumeric. Place the cover over the Tagine and continue to cook for about 1 hour. 

After the chicken had cooked in the Tagine for an hour, the aroma of the spices mixing with the wine and tomato broth that were filling my home were crazy wonderful.  The chicken was fall off the bone tender and very juicy.  The only negative was that the skin on the chicken did not crisp and was a bit rubbery, so I did remove it.  Perhaps the next time I will remove the skin before cooking.  I made a pot of Basmati rice and served the chicken with the broth over the rice and garnished with sliced scallions and a dollop of Major Grey's Chutney.  If you have never tried this type of cuisine, give it a go, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the result.  You could definately make this exact recipe right in a covered skillet or dutch oven, as well.  

Panini of Steak, Roasted Red Peppers and Fresh Mozzarella on Sour Dough Bread

Talk about using using up the dinner left overs, and in a most delicious way, I must say.  As a reminder, for those of you who may have missed yesterday's entry, I had a NY Strip Steak with a Roasted Sweet Pepper Salad made from red and yellow peppers I roasted at home and marinated with garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  A delicious meal, but afterwards I still had at least half of a steak left and a hearty portion of the roasted red and yellow pepper salad remaining as well as half of a loaf of sour dough bread which I enjoyed with the steak the previous night, as well.  

Artfully stack those ingredients together, pile on some creamy, melty fresh mozzarella cheese, and you have the fixings for a fantastic panini.  Start by preheating a cast iron grill pan over medium high heat (if you have a designated panini maker, use can certainly use that, but if not, a grill pan works just as well). Butter the outside of two slices of bread.  On the unbuttered side, start with a layer of sliced mozzarella cheese, then a spoonful of the roasted red peppers, followed by a few thin slices of meat and finishing with another layer of cheese.  Place the sandwich on the hot grill pan and place something heavy on top to weight the paninni down (I used another cast iron skillet wrapped in foil to keep in clean).  After about 2-3 minutes, turn the sandwich over, place the weight back on and let the otherside cook for about 2-3 minutes. That's it.  A fabulous pannini sandwich, which used all of my left over ingredients, and did not require any special equipment! 

New York Strip Steak with a Salad of Home Roasted Sweet Peppers

I went to the Supermarket yesterday morning and was undecided as to what to have for dinner.  The two contenders were Meatloaf and Macaroni and Cheese or something with homemade roasted peppers. I love roasted peppers and I knew red and yellow sweet peppers were on sale for $1.99 as opposed to the usual $3.99 per pound.  I figured if I found a steak or roast which was on sale, I would go for that option.  Meatloaf is a good standby, but I can make that anytime.  Lucky for me, New York strip steaks were on sale for a fabulous price of $5.99 per pound and I was able to get a 2 inch thick, beautiful strip steak, large enough for plenty of leftovers for about $6.50.  

Roasted red or yellow peppers are very easy to make at home and really delicious.  They can be used in a variety of ways: marinated and served as an ingredient in a salad, alone as a side dish, or as a topping on pizza and sandwiches.  Start with a clean dry pepper and, if you have a gas stove, simply place the pepper directly on the grates right over the burner.  If you do not have a gas stove, you can place the peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler.  Allow to completely char on one side and then keep turning them until the pepper is appears black and burnt on all sides.  Immediately place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the peppers to sit and let the steam work on loosening the skins until they are cool enough to handle or about 15-20 minutes.  Peel the skins off the pepper either with your hands or between two paper towels.  Do not run under water or you will rinse of the flavor.  Cut around the stem to remove and discard all of the seeds inside the pepper as well.  Dry thoroughly inside and out and cut into 1 inch strips.  Place in a bowl with a 1 thinly sliced garlic clove, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.  Combine well, cover the bowl and set aside.  At this point, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Right before serving mix in a small bunch of chopped fresh basil and some crumbled Maytag blue cheese as I did, or, if desired you may certainly omit or substitute the fresh herbs and cheese with another you prefer. 

A steak this beautiful was best prepared as simply as possible in order to best enjoy the juicy, tender, meat.   I seasoned liberally with a mixture of sea salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder and tiny bit of cayenne.  To a very hot preheated cast iron skillet, I added the steak and seared it for about 3 minutes per side.  I then placed it in a 425 degree oven to finish cooking for about 10 minutes.  Remove the the steak from the pan and allow to rest and a serving plate for about 15 minutes.  This steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare (please adjust the times either up or down according to whether you prefer your steak more or less rare).  Serve with some grilled sourdough bread and the marinated home roasted peppers for a fantastic dinner... oh, and you musn't forget the red wine!      

Tostados

Since I did not have a Mexican or Southwestern meal on Thursday as is traditional on "Survivor" nights, I fixed Tostados last night.  Who knows what may happen if I go an entire week without some on corn on flour tortilla. 

No special tricks here, just straight up ingredients like you would use for tacos but on a crispy fried corn tortilla.  Refried beans heat in a sauce pan with a little bit of water to loosen them up, followed by ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning and don't forget the secret ingredient (a squirt or two of ketchup) and topped with shredded cheese, chopped tomato, onions and lettuce and a pickled jalepeno on top. 

For a more detailed description please refer back to my previous entry posted on February 5.  There I explain how to make these crispy tostada shells from fresh corn tortillas. 

Sweet and Fiery Honey Chipotle Wings with Buttermilk Blue Cheese

In my opinion, there are few things any tastier than a "good" chicken wing. What makes a "good" chicken wing, you ask?  Well, lets start with the wing itself.  It must be a nice plump meaty whole chicken wing and not the little tiny drummettes you can buy prepackaged in the supermarket (however, in a pinch, you can substitute the tiny drummette and you will have a perfectly tasty treat, just not a "good" wing).  Next you will need to cut off the small wing tip and discard it.  Now you are left with what I call the battle club (drummette) and the surfboard which you will need to seperate buy cutting right through the joint.  It is actually very easy to do once you get the hang of where the joint is located. 

Ok, so you should have two disjointed pieces of plump juicy delicious chicken wing from what was 1 whole chicken wing cut into three pieces (wing tip which as discard, battle club and surfboard).  When deciding on a method of cooking, there are basically two ways to go. Before we get to that, one thing that is not negotiable is that the chicken wings must be cooked naked with no flour or breading of any kind...ever.  The breading will inevitably mix with the sauce and create an icky gooey pasty mess that has no resemblance to a "good" chicken wing.  

Back to cooking. The traditional method is frying which works beautifully and will result in perfectly crisp skin.  It is also a gigantic mess to clean up and unless you are in a restaurant kitchen with a big fryer it is not worth the trouble.  My suggestion and preferred method for cooking these chicken wings is in a hot oven.  I preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, which also assists with the easy cleanup.  Place the chicken pieces on the parchment paper with the skin side up.  Blot completely dry with a paper to remove any moisture on the skin. I season simply with salt and pepper but if you have other flavors you would like to introduce such as chili powder, etc. you could, just be careful that the spices don't burn. Cook on this first side for about 15 minutes, then turn each piece over for another 10 min.  One final flip back to the first side for a final 5 minutes and the you will have the perfect chicken wing vehicle for whatever sauce you decide to create. 

I really like the a little bit of sweet in my chicken wing sauce but I also like them to be fiery hot.  The hotter the better.  For the Sweet and Fiery Honey Chipotle Sauce I combined 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar in a sauce pan with 1/4 cup of chipotle hot sauce (you can use less or more depending on your taste and you can substitute any hot sauce you like), 2 tablespoons of honey and 2-3 tablespoons of butter.  Heat until it just starts to bubble, but don't boil or you will have more of a greasy mess than a sticky sauce.  Mix the chicken wings with the sauce in a large bowl and turn out onto a plate.  You know have a really "good" chicken wing to enjoy!

The perfect dipping sauce, of course, is blue cheese.  It is really simple to make at home and ten times better tasting than bottled dip.  Crumble a small wedge of blue cheese into a bowl (my favorite is Maytag blue cheese, but you can use any brand you like or even purchase it already crumbled) and add an equal amount of sour cream.  Stir to combine, mashing the blue cheese crumbles into the sour cream as you go.  Then to thin it out just a bit, add a buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.  Season with  little garlic powder and salt and pepper.  Don't forget the cold, crispy celery sticks....a must!   

Beef Bourguignon

I was up early yesterday morning and was able to get a early start on Nan's 65th birthday dinner!  Since I had a lot of time in the morning, but a tight schedule in the afternoon, I decided a great winter dinner to serve to company would be a slow cooked Beef Bourguignon.  A bit of a fancier version of a standard beef stew, Beef Bourguignon (or Beef Burgundy) is a long slow braise of beef in red wine with carrots, mushrooms and onions. 

I prefer to purchase a whole cut of meat and portioning it into the desired size in my kitchen, as opposed to buying the precubed stew beef found in most grocery stores.  Most times I prefer larger pieces of meat than is available in the supermarket.  I also like to see and be in control of the ingredients I use rather trust a package of cubed mystery meat.  For this particular occassion, I bought a 1.25 lb beef shoulder roast which I cut into about 2 inch cubes and tossed in a light coating of flour.  Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add the floured cubes of meat to the pot and brown on all sides (be sure not to overcrowed the pot to encourage browning and avoid steaming the meat).  Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. 

To the dutch oven, add 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms (white buttom mushrooms can be sustituted), about 5 or 6 carrots cut into 2 inch pieces (if you have small baby carrots, they can certainly be used instead), 1 bag of frozen cippolini or pearl onions and 1 small can of tomato paste.  Saute for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Next, add about 1/2 bottom of Burgundy wine (hence, the name Beef Bourguignon), or any other red wine you have on hand, and 1 box of beef stock.  At this point, I recommend you make a slurry of 1/4 cup of water to 1 heeping tablespoon of cornstarch, mix well and add to the stew in order to thicken the gravy as it cooks in the oven.  (Note: I did not add the slurry at this point yesterday, but when the stew came out of the oven, I noticed the gravy was a bit thin.  I did add some cornstarch when I was reheating it on the stove just before it was time to eat and it worked perfectly, thickening the gravy just enough.)  Return the beef to the pot, season liberally with salt and pepper and about 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, if available.  Bring it to a boil, cover and finish cooking in a 275 degree oven for about 2 1/2 hours.

You can certainly add potatoes to the stew, which will also add to the thickening of the gravy and simply serve with some good bread.  However, I decided to leave the potatoes out of the stew in favor of serving it over fluffy buttermilk mashed potatoes.  To make the potatoes, I washed and peeled 6 Yukon gold potatoes, placed them in a saucepan and covered them with cold water.  Bring up to a light boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Drain the potatoes, add them back to the hot sauce pan and add about 3/4 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter.  Mash the potatoes and incorporate well with the milk and butter.  Add about 1/2 cup of buttermilk anda liberal seasoning of salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and serve hot with the beef bourguignon.    

    

Veggie Pizza Rerun

Like I have said before, I can only go so long without a repeat, despite by best efforts.  I originally tried out this Vegetable Pizza on January 31 and it was one of the best dinners so far this year.  It was requested again last night so here is the reprise.  If you missed it the first time, and would like the recipe, please refer back to my January 31 entry for all of the information you need.  If you do have any questions, however, please feel free to email or comment here and I'll be happy to assist! 

Salmon with Asian Hoisin Glaze and Vegetable Sushi

It was time to have a healthy dinner last night.  After looking back at some of my recent meals, I realized I have been heavy on the beef of late.  Our local supermarket, Martin's, gets fresh seafood delivered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so I decided it was time for some salmon.  On my way to the seafood counter, I passed the sushi bar and a brown rice inside out vegetable sushi roll caught my eye.  The perfect side dish for my Salmon with Asian Hoisin Glaze. 

I added 1/4 cup of Hoisin Sauce (similiar to an Asian BBQ sauce and found in most supermarkets), 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of Asian chili garlic sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey to a mixing bowl and stirred to combine. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add a small amount of canola oil to the bottom of the pan (just enough to coat the pan).  Prepare the salmon filet by thoroughly drying the skin (for maximum crispiness) and season with salt and pepper.  Place the salmon, skin side down to the skillet without moving for about 2-3 minutes. Brush liberally with the Asian Hoisin Glaze and transfer the skillet to the oven.  Cook for about 12 minutes basting 2-3 times.  Remove from the oven, transfer the salmon to a serving plate and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.  Serve with a bit of soy sauce, a dollop of wasabi and a pile of pickled ginger.      

Dave's Linguine and Slow Simmered Meat Sauce

Two Sunday nights in a row, Nan has been treated to dinner at my brother's house and was joyously relieved of her weekly hospitality duties. Last Sunday night was the Super Bowl and this week served double duty as a Valentine's Day celebration and Nan's birthday dinner (her birthday is actually Tuesday).  Dave, my brother, has been talking smack about his meat sauce for ages but this was my first opportunity to determine whether it lived up to his self created hype. It did.  Honestly, it was one of the best (1st place has to go to Nan) meat sauces I have ever been fortunate enough to eat, including those from Italian restaurants from fine dining to fast food!  Believe it or not, however, after showering him with accolades, when I asked if I could take a small container of this wonderful sauce, from the bath tub sized vat he had prepared, I was flatly denied. So much for sibling hospitality.  Be that as it may, the recipe for this sauce, which was previously kept secret, is being printed here for me and the world to make, eat and share as much as we want!  

In a large stock pot or dutch oven saute the a small bunch of fresh chopped Italian parsley, fresh chopped basil leaves and 5 minced cloves of garlic in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes.  Add 1 large can of whole Italian tomatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes after mashing them with a potato masher. 

Meanwhile, in a seperate skillet, saute 1 small diced onion, 1lb of ground beef, and 1/2 lb of ground pork.  Drain any excess grease from the meat and pork and add the meat and onion mixture to the stock pot with the simmering tomatoes.  Deglaze the skillet with a little bit of red wine to release any brown bits which developed fom sauteing the beef and pork and add to the stock pot, as well. 

Next, add 1 small can of unseasoned tomato sauce and 1 1/2 jars of Prego (Yikes, again with the Prego.  Like mother, like son.) and several chopped slices of pepperoni.  Allow it to simmer for 1-2 hours and serve immediately.  Even better, however, is to let it cool, refrigerate overnight, reheat and serve the next day!

Mini Open-Faced Steak Sandwiches

I'm starting to think that maybe I should write about the 1001 uses for flank steak as it appears to make a frequent appearance on my dinner plate.  If you think back to Thursday night's "Survivor", I had Carne Asada tacos made from a mojo marinated flank steak.  After that tasty meal, I still had half of the flank steak leftover.  I was busy making Valentine's Day goodies all afternoon and dinner time snuck up on me. Knowing I had the remaining flank steak, I considered what I could throw together rather quickly.  I purchased a loaf of rustic roasted garlic bread earlier in the day and decided to create some mini steak sandwiches.  

I sliced the bread rather thinly, placed them on a baking sheet and toasted them under the broiler for just a moment.  Meanwhile I sliced some sweet onions and tossed them in a saute pan with some olive oil over medium heat to carmalize them a bit.  When the onions were finished about 20 minutes later, I set them on a plate for later use.  I sliced the flank steak as thin as possible and tossed the meat in the same skillet just until warm.  I spread a  thin layer of horseradish on each of the toasted bread rounds, topped with a few slices of the warmed flank steak and a spoonful of onions.  

As an accompaniment, I cleaned and prepared some fresh red romaine lettuce and simply dressed it with red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.  A final shaving a parmesan cheese over the whole plate and another delicious use for left over flank steak was created!  

Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs with Simple Chili Bourbon Honey Sauce

I have tried baby back ribs almost every way possible including cooking them entirely in the crock pot, wrapped in a foil packet in the oven, low and slow on the grill and every combination of the preparations possible.  I have yet to decide which way is the best.  I think it just depends on the type of ribs you are trying to achieve on that particular day.  The crock pot is obviously the easiest method - you just put them in the crock pot, turn it on and let them cook for 6-8 hours in sauce.  Tasty, but a little mit mushy if they cook too long and but they certainly are fall right off the bone tender.  Completely wrapping the ribs in  foil packet and slowly roasting them in the oven works well too.  The result is a very tender rib with a little more bite to it than the crock pot version and you can caramelize the sauce on the rib by giving a zap under the broiler right at the end.  The grill works great, but if you are using a gas grill,  this method uses quite a bit of propane.  You also can not wander too far as one grease flair up could turn your potentially juicy succulent ribs into a pile of ash. If it all works perfectly, the results are by far the best.  Since no one, at least in this part of the country, is grilling their ribs outside I'll save the details for entry on grilling ribs during the warmer months so stay tuned.

The ribs from last night were partially cooked in the crock pot and partially in the oven.  This, however, was purely accidental.  I set the crockpot around 1:30 in the afternoon and left to run some errands.  While I was out, the electricity apparently went out around 3:30 and the crock pot did not turn itself back on while the electricity was restored.  Not to worry.  When I arrive back home around 5:00, I immediately placed the ribs on a baking sheet and put them in a 325 degree oven for the next 2 hours.  I turned the oven temperature up to 425 degrees sauced the ribs and allowed them to cook for another 15 minutes.  They were fantastic!  Not nearly as "fall off the boneish" as they would have been had they cooked entirely in the crock pot, but still very tender and with just a bit of bite.  I actually prefer a little bit of resistance when biting into a rib.  There is something a litte off putting when the meat just falls away from the bone with no effort.  Maybe that's just me. 

I did not make a homemade BBQ sauce this time.  I formulated a concoction of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce with a spoonful or two of Asian Garlic Chili sauce, a splash of Bourbon and a squeeze of honey.  The perfect amount of sweet sticky heat to accompany these easy and delicious BBQ ribs.  

Mojo Marinated Carne Asada in Fresh Corn Tortillas

Last night was the 20th season premier of Survivor "Heros vs. Villians", so in keeping with my 10 year old tradition of Mexican style food on Thurday night, I made Carne Asada.  Carne Asada is grilled beef which is thinly sliced and commonly served in tacos and burritos. It is generally marinated in a flavorful herbacious mojo and simply accompanied with onion, avocado (or guacamole) and salsa.  In case you are wondering, there is no correlation between Survivor and Mexican food.  I don't really know why I started this habit, other than I love Mexican food and I love to watch Survivor.   Profound, huh? 

For the marinade combine the following in a food processor and pulse until ground down:  1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 red onion, 1 teaspoon cumin, juice from 1/2 lime and 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.  Add canola oil and continue to process until a paste is formed. Retain about 1/4 of the marinade in a seperate bowl in order to mix with the meat after it has been grilled and sliced.   

The best type of meat to use is either flank steak or skirt steak.  I prefer skirt steak but it is very difficult to find in my area so flank steak works just a well. If it is a large piece of meat, take the time to cut it down into smaller more manageable sized pieces.  Place the meat in a large baking dish and poke all over with fork.  Then spread the marinade all over the flank steak and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

To cook the meat, prepare and indoor grill by preheating and coating it lightly with canola oil.  Add the steak to the hot grill and cook on each side for about 6 minutes.  Resist the urge to peak at the underside while it's cooking because that will prevent a really nice crust from forming which is what you want. When he meat has finished cooking remove from the grill to a plate and let rest for 10-15 minutes.  Slice very thinly against the grain and toss in the reserved marinade. 

Prepare the fresh corn tortillas by warming them directly over the heat of a gas stove, in a foil packet in the oven or in the microwave.  I really prefer to heat them over a flame because of the texture the flame gives to the tortilla as well as the toasty corn flavor and aroma. Assemble the tacos by piling on a hearty helping of the carne asada, some fresh avocado, mild red onion and salsa.    

Spicy Italian Sausage on a Melty Mozzerella Cheesy Hoagie

This is obviously not born of culinary genius, but it is a very tasty utilization of leftovers.  I had some spicy Italian sausage, sweet red peppers and sauteed onions remaining after the Tuesday night's pasta dinner.  Not wanting it to go to waste, I put it all on a hoagie roll and covered it with mozzerella cheese.  After a short stay in a 375 degree preheated oven, it emerged cheesy gooey and delicious.  Admittedly, once again, not the most healthy of dinners I have prepared, but who can fault me for not wasting food! 

Hot Italian Sausage Pasta with Sauteed Onions, Sweet Red Pepper and Chunky Marinara Sauce

Picture yourself at the local County 4-H Fair, a local arts and crafts festival, or even tailgating at your favorite sporting event and inhaling the inviting aromas wafting from the food tents and mobile backyard grills.  One of the most prevelant and, in my opinion, the most enticing smells are those which emit from tents grilling Italian sausages with sweet onions and peppers.  That smell, to me, is intoxicating and the anticipation is almost better than actually devouring the spicy grilled sausage with slow cooked caramelized onions and peppers.   This pasta dish, which will make your kitchen smell every bit as delicious, incorporates a spicy Italian sausage with sauteed onions and sweet red peppers with a homemade marinara sauce all served over spaghetti.      

This marinara sauce is delicious served just straight up with pasta, but it is also very versatile and as easy (and much better tasting) as opening a jar of pre-made sauce. In a cold saucepan add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.  Turn on the heat to medium and bringing the garlic and hot pepper flakes up to temperature at the same time as the olive oil.  This technique will infuse the oil with all of the flavor of the garlic and hot peppers slowly so that they don't burn.  Next add 1 can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes.  Turn off the heat and mash the, now soft, whole tomatoes with a potato masher until you achieved the desired consistency.  Set aside.

In a large saute pan, cook the Italian sausage in 1/4 water over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until water evaporates and sausage is cooked.  Add a few drizzles of olive oil and let the sausage brown on all sides for about 10-15 minutes.  Just before the sausage is completely browned, add 1/2 sliced sweet onion and 1 small sliced sweet red pepper to the pan and sautee until vegetables just begin to brown.  Add several ladles full of the marinara sauce to the pan with the sausage, onions and peppers and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the tasty brown bits.  Cook for 5 minutes or just until it all comes together. 

Cook the pasta per the instructions on the box, combine with the remaining marinara sauce and top with the sausage, onion and pepper mixture.  Finish with shavings of parmesan cheese and enjoy!       

Teriyaki Chicken with Jasmine Rice and Asian Cucumber Salad

One of my favorite comfort type foods is chicken and rice but, instead of the basic plain roasted chicken breast and white rice, I wanted something a bit more zesty.  When I want flavor with a little kick of heat, I usually either go for the Southwestern/Mexican region or for an Asian flair.  My version of Teriyaki Chicken was very easy, took only about an hour to marinate and was made from ingredients most have in their pantry.  Jasmine rice is a delicious fragrant rice that is a great alternative to ordinary white rice, but I do find that it pairs better with Asian foods than any other.  This cucumber salad I have made before, usually as an accompaniment to Salmon, but it is a great crunchy refreshing salad along side chicken too.

The marinade starts with 1/4 cup soy sauce in a mixing bowl.  Next, add 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon wasabi paste, 1 teaspoon Asian chili garlic sauce, 1 minced clove of garlic and a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil.  Combine well and reserve 1/4 of the soy sauce mixture in another bowl for the cucumbers. Add chicken to the mixture and allow to marinate for about an hour.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the chicken with the marinade mixture into a baking dish and roast for about 45 minutes basting frequently.

Slice an English cucumber into very thin slices and place in a bowl with the previously reserved soy sauce marinade.  Place in the refrigerator until it's time for dinner.

Jasmine rice is very easy to prepare, just remember it needs a bit less water than regular white rice.  I placed a pat of butter in the bottom of a sauce pan and added 1/2 cup Jasmine rice.  Combine well so that each rice grain was coated in butter and added 3/4 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 16-18 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving hot.

Super Bowl

Yay!! The Saints won!  I live in Indiana now, but I was born and raised in Baltimore, hon.  As far as I am concerned the Colts will always be cowardly traitors who snuck out of Baltimore in the middle of the night.  So, while I usually care more about the commercials than the game, this year I had to enthusiastically cheer for the New Orleans Saints I was also rooting against the Baltimore Colts.

As you know, Sunday night is usually reserved for dinner at my Mom's house (Nan), but she was ready for a break and my brother offered to host us all at his house.  Dave made some delicious food but despite my best efforts not to forget to take a picture, I did, I forgot.  So, while there was some very tasty Super Bowl food being served up at his house in South Bend, you will need to use your imagination and create an imagine in your mind.   We had a fabulous snacks of Rye Rounds which is an hors d'oeuvre that Nan has made for years.  It is a mixture of mayonaise, parmesan cheese, minced onion, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper, which is schmeared onto little rye bread rounds and cooked under the broiler until brown and bubbly.  Delish!

Next, for the main course, we had a hot taco dip and two types of chicken wings, sweet BBQ and spicy buffalo.  The taco dip starts with preparing 1 pound of ground beef just as you would for tacos.  Spread a layer of refried beans over the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan and top with the seasoned taco meat.  The next layers is that of whatever brand of salsa you like and then topped off with a mound of cheese.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and hot sauce.  Perfect for Super Bowl or any other sporting event!

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

This Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is my sister's favorite and I promised I would make it for her yesterday.  The batch I made was big enough for her to enjoy for a few days and there was plenty leftover for my dinner as well.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut 2 pounds of tomatoes in quarters, if they are large enough, smaller tomatoes can be halved and place them on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinager and salt and pepper.  Toss to coat each tomato and roast in the oven for 45 minutes.  Your house will smell fantastic, so make sure to invite friends over!

While the fresh tomatoes are roasting, sautee 1 large diced onion in butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven.  Add 2 minced cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of tomato paste and a 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (just enough to warm the back of your throat) and cook until onions just begin to brown, about 10 minutes.  Next, add a large can of good quality whole tomatoes and a carton of chicken stock and bring to a boil.  When the fresh tomatoes have finished roasting and are fragrant and perfectly charred, add them to the pot with all of the juices which accumulated on the baking sheet.  Simmer  for 40 minutes. 

After the soup as simmered for about 40 minutes turn off the heat and hand a large bunch of torn basil leaves, at least a cup or 2.  Stir to combine.  Use the immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency.  If you do not have an immersion blender a regular blender will give the desired results or, you could also pass it through a food mill.  Taste and adjust for seasonings, if necessary.  Serve warm or a room temperature.   

Roast Beef Sandwich, Chips and a Pickle

No cooking here!   Sometimes a sandwich is the perfect Friday night (or any night, for that matter) dinner.  I took a drive over to Charlie's Butcher Block and Deli in Elkhart for the specific purpose of getting their sliced roast beef for sandwiches.  It is the best roast beef around and I think they roast it right there.  It's not pressed meat, or lunch meat, it is actual roasted beef, to perfect rareness and sliced thin.  They also have fantastic rolls!

So, that's it.  Charlie's rare roasted beef on a Charlie's roll with Provolone cheese, crispy shredded lettuce, sweet onion, mayonnaise, a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar and salt and pepper.  Not particularly gourmet, but still an example of how fresh and delicious ingredients make the best final product.

Tostados Served on Fresh Fried Corn Tortillas with Pico de Gallo

I have been watching the reality show "Survivor" since it premiered in 2000 and have never missed an episode.  I do not know, at this point, whether I continue to watch because I love to observe the interaction between the contestants, particularly when it is confrontational, or if it has simply become a habit. Whichever the case, it has become part of my Thursday night ritual to have Mexican food, or a derivative thereof.  The actual new season of Survivor does not start until next Thursday, however, there was a special "look back at Survivor's past" episode which aired last night.  I've come this far, why break with tradition now? 

I admit that I usually use the packaged Ortega tostado shells which are heated in the oven just before eating, when I make tostados. While obviously not resembling anything authentically Mexican, they always worked perfectly fine for my purposes.  However, I recently purchased some fresh corn tortillas, which are similar in appearance to the more common flour tortilla, but made of corn, and thought I would try fry a fresh corn tortilla for tostados.  Wow, what a difference!  I can not believe that I have subjected myself to the comparatively chewy, stale like taste and texture of the boxed hard tostados for all these years.  The freshly fried tostados made from fresh corn tortillas were light and airy but incredibly sturdy and perfectly crunchy with an authentic corn flavor.   It was not at all hard to do or (sometimes more importantly) not even messy!

I heated 1/2 inch of canola oil in a large skillet until the oil was hot but not smoking.  I place the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and you will know the oil is hot enough when it bubbles up around the tip of the spoon handle.  Place 1 corn tortilla at a time in the hot oil and fry for about 1 minute per side or until it just starts to turn golden brown.  Place on a paper towel, drain the excess oil and sprinkle with salt.  Place the fried tortilla directly on the rack in a preheat 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes.  Return to paper towels until ready to eat.  This technique will create the most perfectly crispy, crunchy tortilla without a hint of greasiness or sogginess. 

I had some very lovely plump tomatoes and hot chili peppers fresh from the grocery, so I decided to make a mid Winter pico de gallo.  Finely chop a beautiful red ripe juicy tomato and combine in a bowl with finely chopped red onion, 1 finely chopped serrano chili pepper (or other pepper depending on your love of heat), a handful of chopped cilantro, the juice of half of a lime and plenty of salt.  Stir to combine and serve freshly prepared. 

Top the tostado shells with warmed refried beans, seasoned and browned ground beef, home made pico de gallo, freshly shredded crispy lettuce, queso fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese), hot sauce and sour cream.       

Oven BBQ Chicken and Herbed Fingerling Potato Salad

First, I am excited to post a photo using a different camera setting that I tried out last night.  I had previously tried many different types of lighting, flash settings and focuses, but my photos never accurately reflected the image I was trying to portray.  Lots of times, the plate in front of me looked great and yet the photo looked messy and yucky.  I think that this looks pretty good but I'd really like some input.  Obviously, I am not a photographer and I just use a Sony CyberShot digital camera. What do you think? Do you have any tips or suggestions for a novice to take better food photos?  

Back to the dinner.  Last night I made oven roasted BBQ chicken pieces with an herbed fingerling potato salad and some garlic bread.  I made a very simple no cook homemade BBQ sauce that anyone can whip up in 5 minutes but, should you desire, you could substitute your favorite bottled sauce.  In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce,  2 tablespoons of brown sugar, splash of orange juice and 1 tablespoon of Asian garlic chili sauce and set aside.  Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and coat with about 1/2 of the BBQ.  On a lined baking sheet for easy clean up, place the BBQ coated chicken pieces and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.  During the cooking time, turn and baste the chicken pieces with the BBQ sauce several times.  

Many times I prefer to make a vinaigrette based potato salad because it is a quick fix and is best at room temperature.  No need to make in advance and refrigerate, this potato salad is best when dressed warm to allow the potatoes to absorb the flavors. Place small, whole, unpeeled fingerling or red potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Cook over simmering water for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.  Drain well and allow to cool until easy to handle.  Cut each potato in half lengthwise and place in a large mixing bowl with chopped sweet onion, celery and fresh parsley (any additional leafy fresh herbs you have on hand would be delicious too such as dill or tarragon).  For the dressing combine 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Add to potatoes, while still warm, and toss to coat.  Allow the potatoes some time to absorb the flavors and serve them at room temperature.

Homemade garlic bread is so much more delicious than any from the frozen section in the grocery store and super simple to make.  Combine 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Spead onto sliced french bread and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes until butter is bubbly and bread gets crusty.   

Gorgonzola Topped Filet, Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions with Red Wine Gravy and Lemon Scented Broccoli

I spent the day sewing items for my Etsy Shop, (you can see a preview of my shop on the right side of blog, go take a look, particularly if you like table linens for holidays and special occassions) and when I got home, I was starving.  I did not stop at the grocery store on the way home, so I only considered what I ingredients I already had on hand.  Harkening back to the vegetable pizza from Saturday night, I knew there were still some mushrooms and broccoli remaining in the refrigerator.  As I have said numerous times before, I am not a fan of cooked broccoli when not "hidden" in some other preparation (like pizza), but outweighing my distain for broccoli is my desire not to waste food.  There is no greater waste, as far as I am concerned, then going to the store, spending money on food and then simply throwing it in the garbage because it spoiled before it was eaten.  Utilizing the some common ingredients most have in the pantry/refrigerator on a regular basis, I prepared a healthy, delicious meal  in less than half an hour and it was really easy, oh, and I didn't even mind the broccoli.     

I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and set two saute pans over med heat on the stove.  I seasoned the filet with hickory smoked salt (from my friend Charmane's company S.A.L.T., which you can find in the South Bend Farmer's Market), fresh cracked pepper and some garlic powder.  I seared the steak on both sides for 5-6 minutes, topped it with crumbled gorgonzola cheese and placed the saute pan it in the oven.  The cheese melted nicely over the top of the steak and after 5 minutes, I removed it from the oven and placed the filet on a plate to rest.  

Thinly slice 1 container of cremini mushrooms, 1/2 of a sweet onion and mince 1 clove of garlic.  Saute in olive oil over med/high heat for about 10 minutes.  

Meanwhile, making sure not to burn my hand on the hot handle like I have done at least a million time, I proceeded to make a gravy/sauce from the steak pan drippings.  Add 1 teaspoon of flour to the same pan in which the steak was cooked and set back on the stove over medium heat and cook for just a minute.  Add 1/2 cup of water (or beef stock) and bring to a boil stirring constantly to avoid lumps.  Add the mushrooms and onions which were just sauteed directly to the the gravy and add a splash of red wine.  Simmer for a few minutes before serving with the filet.

It goes without saying that I am not an expert cooker of broccoli, but, this turned out to be a really tasty broccoli side dish which I will definately make again.  I cut about 1/4 head of broccoli into florets and par cooked them in a cover bowl in the microwave for 50 seconds.  Just before it was time to eat, I tossed the broccoli in a hot sautee pan with a little olive oil, a sprinkling of hot pepper flakes, the zest of 1/2 lemon and salt and pepper for about 2-3 minutes.  Turn off the heat and squeeze about 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice over the top.  Serve immediately!     

Cheeseburger and French Fries, Again

When I started writing about what I eat for dinner each and every night, I wondered about a few things, including how long it would take before I repeated dinner. I think it has been about three weeks since my last cheeseburger and french fries (which, for me, is an eternity!).  I really do make an effort not to alter my eating habits and not to consider what people would think when reading about it the next day.  The purpose is of this blog is to realistically portray what I eat and to show how easy it can be to put a homemade, simple and delicious meal on the table everynight without spending a lot of money.  However, I must admit, I do feel pressure to make something more original, more creative and much more inspired than I would normally were people not reading this. I am, afterall, here to show people how to cook and if my food doesn't like something people want to eat, I'm not going to be very successful.  Therefore, while I will strive to create new and delicious meals each and every night, the unavoidable and occassional cheeseburger and french fries will unembarassingly make a proud appearance! 

This one was 1/4 pound of 85/15 ground round beef cooked on the indoor grill for about 6 minutes on each side. Thick sliced onion was grilled along side the hamburger and I warmed a fresh sourdough bun in the oven for 5 minutes.  The burger was placed on the bun, topped with mild cheddar cheese, the grilled onion and dressed with ketchup, mayonaise and yellow mustard.  

The french fries are Ore Ida brand Pixie Crinkles which I baked in the oven for about 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  The pickle is a Clausen dill, which I think is the best grocery store pickle available.  It has the perfect amount of garlicky dill flavor and crunch, which is a result of Clausen not cooking the cucumber, is fantastic!     

   

Chicken Cacciatore

The family's regular Sunday night dinner at Nan's was delicious, as always.  This week Nan treated us to one of her favorites, and ours as well, Chicken Cacciatore.  She is a great cook but has not found a way to free herself from the constraints of the recipe and, in fact, still refers to them even after making some of the dishes in her repertoire for 30 or 40 years!  The following, which is the Chicken Cacciatore recipe she has used for as long as I can remember, is adapted from the Southern Living 1980 Annual Recipes and was originally submitted by Doris Garton of Shenandoah, Virginia.

Chicken Cacciatore
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes (Nan uses San Marzano variety)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato-herb sauce (against my advise, Nan continues to use Prego)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano or basil leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 to 2 bay leaves
1/4 cup Sauterne cooking wine (Nan uses the red wine she plans to drink before and during dinner)
Hot cooked spaghetti
Grated Parmesan cheese

Brown the chicken in olive oil in a large skillet; remove chicken, and set aside.  Ad onion and garlic to pan drippings; saute until tender. 

Combine next 7 ingredients, sitrring well.  Return chicken to skillet, and add sauce.  Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes; stir in cooking wine.  Cook, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes over very low heat or until chicken is tender; turn chicken occasionally.  Skim off excess fat.  Serve chicken and sauce over spaghetti; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.