I have been cooking just not blogging about it. These span the last couple months. If the recipe is not typed, click on the link:
To remind you of the Fat Running Chef (FRC) scale:
1=Never
Ever Again
2=Try One More Time
3=Good But Needs Tweeking
4=OMG This Is So Good Calories Don't Count
#10 - White Bean & Roasted Tomato Soup – Wegman’s Recipe - Followed the recipe to a tee except I chopped my own onion, added a minced garlic clove, omitted the croutons (served with bread) and did not strain the mixture, just blended it. 3 ½ FRC – nothing wrong with it and I’ll make it again, but not “to die for”.
#11 – Chicken w/Pancetta and Olives came from Epicurious – I halved everything in this recipe with the exception of the Pancetta. I bought the pre-diced and used ½ of the package. I probably used a few more olives as well. 4 FRC
#12 - Pancetta & Taleggio Conchiglioni is from the Delicious Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 5. This magazine is an Austrailian magazine, so all weights are in metric. And I’m going to make you do the math!
Ingredients:250 g Cannelloni Shells
1 C Breadcrumbs, fresh
8 Pancetta slices, chopped
1/3 C Parsley, flat leaf, chopped
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
200 g Taleggio
1 lg Egg Yolk, lightly beaten
2 Tbs Parmasan
Tomato & Red Wine Sauce
2 C Tomato Passata
100 ml Dry Red Wine
1 tsp Brown Sugar
Pinch dried Chili Flakes
1 Tbs Olive Oil, plus extra to toss pasta
Directions:Place all sauce ingredients in a pan over medium-high heat. Season, bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat for 12 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until just thickened.
Preheat oven to 200 Celcius. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water according to directions. Drain, toss with olive oil. Set aside.
Mix together all remaining ingredients, except parmesan, with some pepper. (If using Cannelloni shells) use a piping bag with a large plain nozzle (or a zip-lock bag with 1 corner snipped off), to fill pasta tubes. Pour half the sauce into a 3-litre baking dish, then top with pasta, preferably in a single layer. Pour over remaining sauce and scatter with parmesan.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until pasta is tender. Serve with extra parsley.
Changes I made and Lessons Learned:Converted everything from metric
I used giant shells instead of Cannelloni (hence the Conchiglioni), they’re easier to stuff. Used packaged Italian bread crumbs. For the sauce I couldn’t find Passata, which is a cooked tomato concentrate so I used Pomi brand Strained Tomatoes - could have used tomato paste. I added minced Garlic Clove, Season-all, and Ground Italian Herbs. I should have used less bread crumbs and more spices in the sauce. The sauce was a little too sweet for my liking. I used a Chianti wine so that may have added to the sweetness. 3 FRCs – it was good but needs some work.
#13 & 14 - Grilled Mojo Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Grilled Peach Salsa – Both Wegman’s Recipes – Did not make into a sandwich, just had the pork (which means I grilled a pre-marinated pork loin - tough stuff!) and salsa. As a note, I’m a fake Mexican and don’t like spicy food and I thought this salsa was incredible. Quick, Easy, and mmm, mmm, good! 4 FRC’s
#15 – Grilled Swordfish Nicoise Salad – Wegman’s Recipe – This is one of those recipes you can take the basics and mix it up. I’m going to go with 3 FRC’s only because there is so much room to play with the ingredients.
And
#16 Creamy Tomato Pasta with Pine Nuts is from the Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publication “Ultimate Italian”.
Ingredients:3 Oz Pancetta, finely chopped
1 Tbs Butter
2 C Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted
¼ tsp Black Pepper (eyeball)
2 Med Tomatoes, chopped
½ C Parmasan Cheese
1 9 Oz Pkg Refrigerated Linguine
1 ½ C ½ & ½ or Light Cream
Additional Parmasan and Pepper if desired
Directions:In a large skillet, cook and stir pancetta over medium heat just until golden brown. Remove pancetta from skillet; drain off fat. For sauce: In the same skillet, heat butter. Add mushrooms and pine nuts; cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms ar etender and pine nuts are golden brown, stirring frequently. Return pancetta to skillet. Stir in half & half and the ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently uncovered, over medium heat about 7 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in tomatoes and Parmasan cheese.
Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions; drain. Add the sauce; toss gently to combine. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmasan cheese and pepper. Makes 4 servings.
As written 578 Calories. Saved some calories with fake butter and fat free cream (but probably evened it out with the additional pancetta and pine nuts)
Changes I made and Lessons Learned:Used 4 oz Pancetta, Brummell & Brown Yogurt Butter, about ½ the mushrooms, ½ C pine nuts, 3 Plum Tomatoes, Fettuccini instead of Linguine, Fat Free Cream, and did not add the additional parmesan or pepper. I added minced Garlic Clove, Season-all, Ground Italian Herbs, and flour (for thickening). I should have used right amount of mushrooms, stuck with original amount of pine nuts (if not less), and added another plum tomato. Also, if you use fat free cream you have to watch it constantly when it’s boiling or a film develops on top (which can be removed, doesn’t change the flavor).
