3-29-18 Cavatappi w crab-corn cream sauce

I wanted to try something different tonight.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Cavatappi pasta

2.     Frozen corn

3.     Lump crab meat

4.     Whipping cream

5.     Olive oil

6.     Shallots

7.     Celery

8.     Garlic

9.     Sundried tomatoes in oil

10. Dried dill, basil, and tarragon

11. Old Bay seasoning

12. White wine

13. Chicken broth

PROCESS: I did this on the fly, so nothing is carved in stone.

Saute the shallots, celery, and garlic in olive oil. Add a bit of broth and about a cup of corn, along with the herbs and 3 or 4 finely chopped sundried tomatoes. If it gets too dry add more broth, or some wine. Then add the crab and let it simmer. I add the cream at the same time I put the pasta in the boiling water. Stir frequently, and when the pasta is ready add it to the sauce.

COMMENTS:

Patience, the inhouse food critic gave this a 22.

7-22-17 Fettuccini w Salmon and fresh corn in cream sauce

I’ve been thinking about this dish for several days, but something always seemed to thwart my plans…but not tonight. 

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Fettuccini- wanted linguine but there was none in the pasta pantry.

2.     Salmon – skin removed and diced into bite size pieces

3.     Fresh corn – nuked for 2 minutes then removed from the cob

4.     Olive oil

5.     Shallots – chopped

6.     Garlic – pressed

7.     Fresh basil and tarragon coarsely chopped

8.     Marsala wine

9.     Heavy whipping cream

PROCESS:

Cook the shallots and garlic until soft, then add the salmon and cook over med-high heat.  Follow several minutes later with the fresh herbs.  When the salmon is cooked through add the corn and a splash of wine and continue cooking over low heat.  Several minutes before the pasta is ready add the cream and mix well.  Then add the pasta and some pasta water, mix well, and serve.

COMMENTS:

In keeping with the “eclipse season” we decided the best description of tonight’s dinner would be -  “heavenly”.

I forgot to mention the pad of butter I added to the sauce along with the cream.  Hey…it’s good for you.

Accompanying the pasta was a Caprese salad.

CORN-SMOKED SALMON 7-26

Cooking for three tonight...

More fresh corn arrived today!

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta-Campanella
Smoked Salmon
Fresh corn, cooked and removed from the cob
Grape tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Garlic, Shallots
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Sweet Vermouth
Heavy whipping cream
Fresh Thyme, basil, oregano, and sage finely chopped

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic and shallots with red pepper flakes is olive oil. Then add the tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes, adding sweet vermouth and half of the herbs about half way into the process. While the pasta is cooking add the corn and salmon to the pan, followed by the cream, stirring frequently. Add the pasta to the pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes, sprinkle the remaining herbs on the pan and serve.



COMMENTS:

Words cannot do justice to this meal….nuf said.

CORN ‘N CRAB WITH SHRIMP 7-23

Tonight I am following up on a suggestion I made 3 days ago…the pasta was served with corn and potatoes in a creamy tomato sauce…and I concluded the post thinking this would be good with crabmeat substituted for the potatoes. So…with 3 ears of fresh sweet corn and half a container of crabmeat still in the fridge the rest came easily.

Crabmeat replaced the tomatoes, shrimp was added to the mix, and the tomato paste was replaced with diced tomatoes with a splash of Sweet Vermouth tossed in.

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta…Campanella
Fresh corn, micro-waved and removed from the cob.
Fresh lump crabmeat
Shrimp, raw or cooked
Lemon juice
Diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic, shallots
Fresh basil, oregano, parsley coarsely chopped
Sweet vermouth
Heavy whipping cream

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic and shallots in olive oil, then add the tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice, and sweet vermouth and cook for 10-15 minutes. Place tomatoes in blender or food processer and puree. Return the tomatoes to the pan and add the corn and crabmeat and cook over low heat. Add the shrimp now if raw.

While the pasta is cooking add the cream and stir intermittently. Add the pasta to the pan and mix well.



COMMENTS:

This was great. I liked it better than the corn-potato dish. The corn and crab are a good combo, and I like the way the sweet vermouth adds to the tomato sauce.
Any shaped pasta would work well with this.

NOTHING INTERFERES WITH A PASTA DINNER 7-20

The day began with quiet hope and anticipation. My spirits were good and I looked forward to having a special dinner waiting for Patience when she returned from work. Around 9 AM I placed a sweet potato in the microwave for Mama Pajama’s dinner, and set it for 5.5 minutes…oops…pushed the wrong button and re-set it. A few minutes later I decided on a quick trip to the Library, put the dogs “away” and headed out.

I was gone no more than 30 minutes, and when I returned I walked into a house full of smoke. I ran to the basement door convinced our ailing sub pump was responsible but there was no smoke there. I let the dogs out…they seemed impervious to the smoke…and ran upstairs…no smoke there, and went back to the dog room realizing this is where it was most intense.

You guessed it…I must have set the microwave for 55 minutes, not 5.5…and when I opened the door I saw a totally charred potato. The microwave burned itself out before any other damage could occur. What a stinking mess!

I opened the doors, set fans in the doorways, turned of the ac and wondered if I could get rid of everything before P came home. I don’t think so. The fans have been running for almost 1 ½ hours and things are much better…but not normal.

Now it would be easy to cancel my dinner plans and order out, given the circumstances, and a lesser man than me might do that...but not me. The tiger in me won’t allow it and pasta will prevail!

Tonight I will be acting on Patience’s suggestion on how to use the corn and the potatoes that are accumulating in our fridge.



INGREDIENTS:

Fresh corn, cooked and removed from the cob
New potatoes, diced into small pieces
Fresh sage, parsley, and thyme
Kohlrabi
Garlic, onions
Heavy cream
Tomato paste
Pancetta
Butter

PROCESS:

Cook the potatoes in olive oil until crisp; remove to paper towel to drain. Cook the garlic, onions, pancetta, and diced kohlrabi in olive oil with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Then add the corn, herbs, and butter and simmer for 5-10 minutes before adding the potatoes. Add the cream while the pasta is cooking. Mix the cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and serve.



COMMENTS:

Tonight I used pasta that I have never seen before, and it was perfect for this dish. Like all pasta dishes, there are so many variations that can be explored. How about replacing the potatoes with fresh crabmeat?!