a little of each

A family's cookbook

Mama Jean’s Pierogis March 29, 2013

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:48 pm
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A Yellen Christmas Eve tradition.

 

Ingredients

3 cups flour

½ cup water

2 eggs

1 Tbl Crisco

 

Directions

Cut eggs into flour, add water. Knead until firm but not sticky. Roll out on floured surface and cut out circles with biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Place one tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle. Bring edges together and seal edges by pinching with fingers. Drop six to seven pierogis gently into a large pot of boiling water. When they rise to the top boil gently for eight to 10 minutes. Remove to a buttered pan after rinsing in cold water. Serve pierogis with sour cream, crumbled bacon, and sautéed onion.

 

For the filling, mix together:

1 pound cheddar cheese

3 to 4 hot cooked, mashed potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper.

 

Orzo with Everything

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:44 pm
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We made this at Jennifer’s house in Rio Rancho. Sadly, we went through a couple of batches of pine nuts when we didn’t supervise the toasting carefully enough. They toast very quickly! From Margaret Ann’s cooking class.

 

3 cups uncooked orzo

2/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

10 Tbl olive oil

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup black olives, chopped

2 cups radicchio, finely chopped

1 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

4 large cloves garlic, minced

 

Cook orzo as directed on package. Drain well. Add tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and olives. Toss. Let stand until cool. Mix the remaining ingredients into pasta just before serving. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

 

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:42 pm
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I made this  frequently in college. All of my roommates liked it, too, so we’d all eat off it, for lunch and dinner, until it ran out. This recipe is also great with imitation crabmeat.  Simply add about ¾ lb. chopped crabmeat instead of the tuna, and use mayonnaise instead of the Miracle Whip.

 

Ingredients

1 lb box of pasta (shells, spirals, or bowties)

2 cans albacore tuna, drained

2 hardboiled eggs, chopped

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing, dry

1 tsp dill

1 cup Miracle Whip, give or take

 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Refrigerate before serving.

 

Rosalie’s Crazy Rice

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:56 am
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A New Mexican-style fried rice.

 

Ingredients

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 eggs

2 cups cooked rice, room temperature

2 carrots, shredded

2 celery stalks, diced (optional – Jen does not add)

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

After cooking bacon, keep grease hot in pan, and crack the eggs into the grease. Wait 30 seconds and pop the yolks. Cook eggs through. When done, remove from pan and blot on a paper towel, then dice the egg. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and steam for 30 to 40 minutes, covered on low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Indian Rice

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:55 am
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This fluffy, aromatic rice  is wonderful as an accompaniment or foundation to Tandoori chicken, chicken curry, Nana’s Indonesian ginger chicken, or even with spoonfuls of lentil soup ladeled over it – an Indian version of black beans and rice.

 

Ingredients

2 Tbl oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 shallot, minced

1 Tbl grated fresh ginger

1 cup uncooked Basmati rice

1 ½ cups water

½ tsp cinnamon

pinch of turmeric

 

Directions

Heat oil in a medium pot. When hot, add garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes, until they are soft and aromatic. Add uncooked rice and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add water, cinnamon and turmeric. Stir. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low and leave until all water is absorbed.

 

Spiced Rice Almondine

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:53 am
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Ingredients

1 box wild rice

1 lb bulk sausage

½ cup green pepper, chopped

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup celery, chopped

¼ cup almonds, slivered

1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed

 

Directions

Cook rice according to the package. Crumble sausage meat in a skillet and brown. Add pepper, onion and celery. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Blend in rice, almonds and soup. Put in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

 

Orange Rice

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:52 am
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Ingredients

1 ½ cup short-grain brown rice

½ tsp salt

2 oranges

1 small red onion

1 Tbl olive oil

2 Tbl basil

 

Directions

Combine rice, salt and two cups of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Grate one Tbl zest from one orange; peel and section both oranges. When rice is tender, fold in zest, oranges, basil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Ricotta Gnocchi December 21, 2012

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:11 pm
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Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 5)

    For the Gnocchi

    • 1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

    For the Sauce

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
    • 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
    • 6 basil leaves, finely shredded
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks

    Instructions

    Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough.

    Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in shredded basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

    While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.

    To assemble the dish, stir the cubed mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce overtop.

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    Cilantro Lime Rice December 20, 2012

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains,Sides — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:14 pm
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    Ingredients (serves 4)

    • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
    • 1 cup basmati rice
    • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
    • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
    • zest from one lime
    • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
    • 1 tsp. salt

    Instructions

    Add the oil to a sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.

    Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to rice package directions.

    When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

    If you are using regular long grain rice, follow the cooking directions on the box regarding the amount of liquid to use and the cooking time.

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    Spaghetti with Pesto Trapenese

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:05 pm
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    Ingredients (serves 4)

    • ¾ pound cherry tomatoes, very ripe and sweet
    • 12 leaves fresh basil
    • ⅓ cup whole almonds, lightly toasted
    • 1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 pound spaghetti
    • ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

    Instructions

    Rinse the cherry tomatoes and pat them dry. Rinse the basil leaves and pat dry.

    Drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food processor bowl followed by the garlic clove, the almonds, basil leaves, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend for a minute or more to a fine purée; scrape down the bowl and blend again if any large bits or pieces have survived.

    With the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the purée into a thick pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If you’re going to dress the pasta within a couple of hours, leave the pesto at room temperature. Refrigerate for longer storage, up to 2 days, but let it return to room temperature before cooking the pasta.)

    To cook the spaghetti, heat 6 quarts of water, with 1 tablespoon salt to the boil in the large pot. Scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl.

    Cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot, drain briefly, and drop onto the pesto. Toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again. Serve immediately in warm bowls

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