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Rigatoni Bolognese (with ground turkey)

24 Feb

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This was my first time making bolognese at home, and dang, it made me realize that it is high time to start expanding my horizons in the kitchen. Bolognese is just too easy and too good not to have made before.

Bolognese is a meat-based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy. As the sauce simmers on the stove, the strong notes of red wine and tomato complement the already savory-delicious smell of meat. The ultimate meal for these dog days of winter…

I chose to follow Jackie Newgent’s recipe, which uses ground turkey instead of the traditional ground beef. She also adds in some green tea and orange juice to replace some of the traditionally heavier bolognese ingredients like cream. These help build a more complex flavor without weighing the sauce down.

Jackie Newgent is a classically trained chef, registered dietitian, cookbook author, and media personality. Her latest book is full of quick, healthy recipes that “focus on filling ingredients with a contemporary edge.” I have had the pleasure of meeting Jackie in person and corresponding with her through email and social media. She is the nicest person, who truly understands the meaning of good food.

I purchased my ground turkey from Di Paola Turkey Farm. They have a stand at the Columbia farmer’s market (in NYC) every Sunday. I also threw in some mushrooms that I had on-hand from Madura Farms (based in Orange County, NY). Mushrooms go great with tomatoes and meat. I won’t go into detail here, but it involves glutamates and nucleotides…check out this interview with the editors of the newest Cooks Illustrated Cookbook to learn more…

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Rigatoni Bolognese (with ground turkey)

recipe adapted from 1,000 Low-Calorie Recipes by Jackie Newgent, RD

**This made a LOT of sauce; but it was great for leftovers for the next few days…probably got about 8 servings worth??  

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

3 garlics cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 jar marina sauce or 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup unsweetened green tea (or water)

Add ons: fresh parsley, chopped + Parmesan + black pepper

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, stirring until fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a plate.

2. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the onion, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of the wine, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and saute until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and dried oregano and continue cooking for 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the remaining wine, scrape up any browned bits in the pan, and cook while stirring for 1 minute.

3. Return the turkey to the skillet and add the marinara, orange juice, green tea, and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt.

4. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 25 minutes. While the bolognese simmers, get your rigatoni boiling.

5. Once your pasta is done cooking, spoon some bolognese over the noodles, adding fresh chopped parsley and some Parmesan cheese.

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Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi With Sautéed Leeks

16 Jan

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I don’t cook fish very often at home. When I do, I usually opt for salmon, and I usually roast it. I decided to try something new this time…

Mahi-mahi has very little fat, so while it is not the best choice to get those omega-3 fatty acids, it is still a great choice for a low-fat, high protein meal.

While I would have preferred to purchase my fish at the farmer’s market, I didn’t get my act together in time this week, so I purchased my fish from Whole Foods. They sell frozen, wild-caught mahi-mahi there, nicely portioned into 2 6-oz fillets. I defrosted them in the fridge overnight on a covered plate.

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Pan-searing was a lot easier than I thought it would be. With a hot skillet, the fish was done in about 6-7 minutes. And the best part is that I got nice, golden sear marks.

I ate the fish with some sautéed leeks and a quick fennel orange salad (literally fennel, orange slivers, and a touch of OJ + olive oil/salt/pepper).

I brushed the fish with a little bit of teriyaki sauce that I had leftover from last night’s dinner (I made teriyaki bok choy over brown rice with an egg on top!) . You could also just mix together 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and a little fresh lime juice for a quick savory sauce.

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Pan-Seared Mahi-Mahi

Cooking method adapted from Mark Bittman’s Fish

serves 2

2 6-oz fillets mahi-mahi (I cut each fillet in half to have 4 small pieces of fish)

canola or coconut oil

fresh ground pepper

teriyaki sauce (see recipe below)

Make sure the fish fillets are at room temperature and pat them dry with a paper towel. Grind the pepper on both sides of the fillets.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet for about 10 minutes, until smoking slightly. Add the oil, and place the peppered fish on the pan. Cook until browned on 1 side, about 3 minutes. Turn, and brown on the other side. Turn off the heat, brush the fish with the teriyaki sauce, and turn the fish in it a few times.

Teriyaki Sauce

recipe from Chloe’s Kitchen

makes a relatively large amount (maybe about a cup?); store in a jar if you have leftover sauce

3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, whisk together all of the ingredients. Heat the sauce over medium-high heat, whisking frequently until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture has thickened and big, syrupy bubbles appear on the surface.

Sauteed Leeks

2 large leeks, green parts removed, washed

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt, to taste

Slice the leeks in half lengthwise, and then slice in half again. Chop the leeks into small pieces.

Heat the oil on a skillet. Add the leeks and saute for about 7-10 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Add salt to taste.

You could even add a little parmesan or some teriyaki for more flavor. I think these leeks would be great on top of a slice of toasted bread, like a crostini. 

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Miso Soup

7 Dec

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Miso soup goes from appetizer to dinner with the addition of noodles, larger tofu cubes, broccoli, and avocado.

The broth is made with just 2 ingredients: water and miso paste. The rest is up to you: noodles or rice, tofu, egg, seasonal vegetables, chili flakes or oil, scallions, herbs, garlic…Heidi Swanson, who inspired this soup, even suggests using tea instead of water.

I’ve gabbed about my love for miso paste before, and once you have a tub of it hanging out in the fridge, you know that you can always make some soup when you’re in a dinner pinch.

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Miso Soup

adapted from 101 cookbooks

serves 2-3

**NOTE: You may need to add some salt to the soup. Taste and add as necessary. Sometimes I like to add a splash of soy sauce for a deeper, saltier flavor, too.

3 ounces dried noodles, soba or spaghetti
2 – 4 tablespoons white miso paste (to taste)
2 – 3 ounces firm tofu (2 handfuls), chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
2 handfuls of chopped broccoli florets (or spinach)
Additional toppings: a pinch of red pepper flakes, avocado cubes

Cook the noodles in salted water. Add the broccoli during the last minute of cooking. Drain, run cold water over the noodles/broccoli to stop them from cooking, shake off any excess water, and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Put the miso paste in a small bowl and pour a bit of the hot water over the miso, whisking so it thins out a bit (this is to avoid clumping). Stir this back into the pot. Taste, and then add more (the same way) a bit at a time until it is to your liking. Add the tofu, remove from the heat, and let it sit for just a minute or so.

Split the noodles/broccoli between two (or three) bowls, and pour the miso broth and tofu over them. Add red pepper flakes to each bowl and enjoy.

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Pumpkin Ravioli with a Creamy Sauce

5 Dec

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I keep bumping into an acquaintance of mine at the Sunday farmer’s market. We happen to shop there at the same time, and we give each other recommendations—which vendor are you buying your eggs from this week, check out that heaping mound of Brussels sprouts, those mushrooms look amazing, have you tried the fresh pumpkin ravioli from Knoll Krest Farms?!

Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant, says that chefs (I will extend this to the greater population of home cooks/eaters) are “curators of what’s truly delicious; we’re driven by pleasure. The sustainable food movement is about hedonism…be greedy for great food when you know that it was grown in the right way” (“Dan Barber’s Culinary Crusade,” The Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2012). I get such a thrill exchanging recipe ideas and seeing what people buy at the market. This may sound silly, but even making small-talk with other shoppers and vendors makes my day brighter.

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I gave into my craving for pumpkin ravioli a la my friend’s recommendation, and tossed it with an almost vegan “cream” sauce and some spinach. Next to a pile of roasted parsnips and delicata squash, this was tonight’s idea of a perfect meal.

**Note that the ravioli is not vegan. You could substitute with another pasta type to make this dish vegan. Also, I used cow’s milk to make my creamy sauce. To make the sauce vegan, use a non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice).

Pumpkin Ravioli With A Creamy Sauce

serves 4

sauce adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen (the sauce for the “straw and hay” pasta)

2-dozen (24 pieces) fresh ravioli (I used pumpkin ravioli)

a few handfuls of spinach

1 cup milk (I used low-fat milk)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot

1 tablespoon tahini

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste

optional: roasted squash seeds

Boil water, add salt, and cook the ravioli. Add the spinach to the water after the ravioli has been cooking for about a minute. Note that fresh ravioli should only take 3-5 minutes to cook. Drain and toss with the sauce. Top with roasted seeds.

To make the sauce: Combine the milk, water, cornstarch, tahini, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, and salt in the blender and puree until smooth. Transfer the mix to a medium saucepan and let it cook over medium heat, whisking or stirring with a rubber spatula. Stir frequently, until the sauce thickens (about 5 to 10 minutes).

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Orange Tofu with Vegetables and Rice

29 Oct

I started a new part-time job working the counter at a bakery. I often feel like a bag lady plunking bread rolls into my purse, swooping in at the end of the day and grabbing as many leftover goodies from the bakery as I can fit in my bag. “Nothing to waste,” I exclaim as I run out the door with perfectly good day-old cookies, croissants, and muffins. Someone will eat them.

Welp, lately that someone ends up being me. Even if I manage to give away most of the leftovers, I find myself sneaking in nibbles. Must…stop…Hmph, maybe I can commit to taking home extra treats just once a week. The rest of the time I will have to turn the other cheek. At least for now…

Tucked at home tonight, blogging on the eve of another brewing storm, I return to the comforts of a big warm meal right from my own quaint apartment-size kitchen.

Fried tofu cubes in a sticky sweet sauce was exactly what I needed tonight. With brown rice and roasted garlicky broccoli and romanesco from the farmer’s market.

Not quite like the orange chicken I used to gobble up as a kid. Better.

Orange Tofu

adapted from Vegetarian Ventures

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

freshly grated ginger, to taste (about 1 teaspoon)

a few dashes of chili garlic sauce or sriracha

 

To make the sauce: whisk together rice vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice, garlic, ginger, and chili garlic sauce. Taste test and set aside.

 

1 egg, beaten + 1 tablespoon water

1 pound of extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

1/2 cup-3/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

 

To prepare the tofu: whisk together the beaten egg and water in a small bowl. Dip the tofu cubes into the egg mixture in a few batches and coat on all sides with cornstarch. This gets messy but will taste sooo good later!

Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy duty pan on medium heat. Coat with the 2 tablespoons of canola oil and fry the tofu. Flip the cubes after they have browned on the first side, about 2-5 minutes per side. Turn the heat to medium low and add the orange glaze. Fold the glaze into the tofu and simmer until desired consistency. Top with sesame seeds and serve with roasted or steamed vegetables and rice.

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