8-30-17 Capellini with eggplant & mushrooms

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Me: I have to decide what to do for dinner tonight.

Patience: Just use what ever is in the fridge

Me: Okay

The pickings were slim- a half a package of mixed mushrooms and two Japanese eggplants from the porch garden. BUT – there was also a jar of sundried tomatoes, some cream, and a bottle of sweet vermouth. Who needs anything else.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Angel hair pasta (we use 4 oz. for the two of us.)

2.     Two Japanese eggplants sliced crosswise

3.     Mixed mushrooms

4.     Sundried tomatoes in oil – coarsely chopped

5.     Olive oil (don’t use extra virgin for cooking.)

6.     Onion and Garlic

7.     Fresh thyme, parsley, and basil

8.     Sweet vermouth

9.     Heavy whipping cream – about 3 tbsp.

10. Red pepper flakes – optional

PROCESS:

Prepare the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the mushrooms, eggplant, and herbs, and cook over high heat until everything starts to brown.  Lower the heat and add a splash of wine and the tomatoes and continue cooking over low heat.  If everything gets to dry, add a splash of chicken broth.  When you add the pasta to the water add the cream to the sauce and stir.  Add the past to the sauce, mix well, and serve. Be prepared for a temporary stint in culinary heaven.

Comments:

This was wonderful the cook claimed unabashedly.  Patience loved it, and she is the ultimate food critic in our kitchen.

6-16-17 Capellini with shrimp in butter and wine

I have been thinking about this all day, waiting for the time to make it happen.  My goal was to emphasize the fresh dill and tarragon in a light sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Capellini

2.     Uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined.

3.     Fresh dill and tarragon coarsely chopped

4.     Shallot thinly sliced

5.     Garlic

6.     Olive oil

7.     Butter

8.     White wine

9.     Fresh lemon juice

PROCESS:

Cook the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft, and add about a heaping tablespoon of the herbs and cook for several more minutes over medium-low heat.

Add the butter and shrimp and while they’re cooking add the lemon juice and a splash of wine.

When the pasta is done mix it into the sauce, along with more of the chopped herbs and some pasta water if needed. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and serve, garnished with herbs.

COMMENTS:

I’m becoming a big fan of fresh tarragon and have to be careful I don’t overdo its use. But that was not the case tonight. Patience and I both loved the light, loose, and delightful sauce in this dish.

9-11-16 CAPELLINI WITH PEAS, ASPARAGUS, & ARTICHOKE HEARTS

        

INGREDIENTS:

1.     De Boles artichoke wheat Capellini

2.     Asparagus

3.     Peas

4.     Artichoke hearts

5.     Olive oil

6.     Onion

7.     Garlic

8.     Basil

9.     Tarragon

10. Butter

11. Heavy whipping cream

12. Fresh lemon juice

13. Dry white wine

14. Vegetable broth

15. Salt & pepper

16. Grana Padano cheese

PROCESS:

I had no predetermined plan when I started tonight’s dinner.   With a limited pantry, I settled on the ingredients available: Asparagus, frozen peas, and frozen artichoke hearts. It began like almost all of my meals – sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil.  I cut the asparagus into 1” pieces, partially thawed the frozen peas and Artichoke hearts in the microwave and added them to the pan, along with a cube of frozen chopped basil, about 1/3 cup of vegetable broth, and some dried Tarragon.  Several minutes later I splashed in some dry white wine (Pinot Grigio), and a few minutes later some fresh lemon juice.  Everything simmered over low heat while waiting for the pasta water to come to a boil.  While the pasta was cooking I added a small amount of heavy whipping cream - no more than ¼ cup.  The pasta was added to the sauce, and served with a sprinkling of Grana Padano cheese.

COMMENTS:

This was as much fun to cook as it was to eat.  With my usual objectivity I am giving this a 10+.

5-31…Capellini with broccoli and sea scallops

Today is Thursday, which means veggies from the CSA folks, which resulted in a beautiful head of fresh broccoli, which translates to a broccoli laden pasta dish.  A quick look in the freezer revealed a package of sea scallops which will be a perfect companion to the broccoli.

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta

Broccoli Florets

Sea scallops

Olive oi

Garlic….pressed

onion

Anchovy fillets…2, finely chopped

Fresh basil an dill

Fresh lemon juice

Dry white wine, one generous splash

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic and anchovies in the olive oil, along with the red pepper flakes.  Add the chopped onion, herbs, scallops and broccoli.  After 2-3 minutes add some wine and cook over low-medium heat while the pasta is cooking.

Add the pasta to the pan and mix well.  Drizzle with olive oil and add the lemon juice before serving.

COMMENTS:

Patience is a pushover after I serve scallops, broccoli, and angel hair pasta.  I will find out later just how good this dish was.

I thought it was sgreat.

10-25…Crab cakes and Capellini alla Renzulli

OK…now this is a new experience for me. For my last meal at home for 5 days I’ve decided to make crab cakes and serve them with a light cream sauce on a bed of Angel hair pasta. My original plan was to use dill and lemon in the cakes, but Patience said she was in the mood for Cilantra so there has been a little change of plans.



INGREDIENTS…FOR THE CRAB CAKES:

8 oz. backfin crab meat
Egg
Cilantro
Cucumber diced into ¼” cubes
Juice from one lime
Mayonnaise
Cracker crumbs
Flour

PROCESS:

Mix all ingredients well and form into cakes and place in refrigerator for about one hour. Dust lightly with flour before cooking in olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove and keep warm.



INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:

Olive oil
Garlic, pressed
Fresh dill coarsely chopped
Butter
Heavy whipping cream
Lemon zest
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

PROCESS:

In the same pan used to cook the crab cakes add more olive oil if needed, then proceed to cook the butter with the dill, lemon zest, and cream, adding the cheese after 4-5 minutes.

When the pasta is finished place a nest of pasta along side a crab cake and add the sauce over both.


COMMENTS:

This was fantastic! I have nothing else to say.