Wild Mushroom and Truffle Ragu over Fettucine

Boy am I a good decision maker...

A few weeks ago, I decided to venture to HomeGoods with my mom since I got a $25 gift certificate from a family friend as a housewarming gift. Unimpressed at the items, we were about to leave with gift card in hand when I faithfully came upon the 'oils' section. With a variety of olive oils and a few other specialty oils (avocado, etc.) I quickly thought to look for my favorite oil of all time- truffle oil!!!

To my surprise, there were only two bottles left- white truffle oil and black truffle oil. Not being able to choose between the two (do I go with the light aroma of the white truffle oil or do I stick with the heavy earthy aroma of black?!?!) I decided to use up my gift card and get both oils.. and now i'm in heaven. Boy am I a good decision maker.

Of course, with this new treasure in hand, I had to immediately find some truffle oil recipes!

The first recipe I tried out with my white truffle oil happened to come from Emeril Lagasse- Wild Mushroom and Truffle Ragu over Fettucine-BAM!

Recipe follows:

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1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 pounds wild and exotic mushrooms, cleaned and diced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups mushroom, chicken or veal stock
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 teaspoons truffle oil
1 pound fettucine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Chopped fresh herbs, for garnish (such as basil, parsley, thyme)

Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter to the pan. Once the butter melts and starts to foam, add the diced onions and saute until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they have released most of their liquid, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme, oregano, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and stock to the pan. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil and reduce to a gentle boil. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper, and add the basil, parsley and truffle oil to the pan. Stir to incorporate and reserve while you cook the pasta.
Fill a large 6-quart pot with 1-gallon of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Season the water with salt. Place the dried pasta into the boiling water, and stir using a long handled spoon until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, or until it has a slight chew, about 12 to 14 minutes. Once cooked, remove the pasta from the water and drain through a colander set in the sink. Pour the pasta onto a large platter or bowl, and spoon the sauce over top of the pasta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and chopped fresh herbs

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And BAM! There you have it.





So I have to admit- this recipe is a bit more tedious (and pricey) than the other pasta recipes that I've made- although it isn't necessarily difficult, there are a lot of ingredients you need to pay special attention to. But I'm telling you- it's worth it.

The wild mushrooms are soft and delicious and obviously compliment the drizzled white truffle oil. I tried not to put the truffle oil on the heat too long as the longer it is cooked- the more flavor it loses- DO NOT COOK TOO LONG!! I didn't use fettucine just because.. well.. I hate fettucine and used thin spaghetti instead. The flavors were rich and filling and I enjoyed my meal.

I would say that this recipe was OK. I didn't enjoy the tomato paste and the tart flavor it gave to the meal- it masked the truffle oil a little bit too much to my liking. Although still tasty-I probably wouldn't make this again, or at least make tweaks to it.

Although I have to say that I was really excited to try my first ever truffle oil recipe, I was more excited about the herbs that I used!

That's right, my little seedlings have finally grown and my herb collection is complete! I now can cook using fresh, home grown herbs and it is so incredibly satisfying (not to mention cheaper). Although it did take long, the smell and excitement I got out of cooking my own fresh herbs in the kitchen is exhilarating!

Although truffle oil is a bit pricey, for those who enjoy truffles as much as I do, I am sure we all can agree that it is worth it. I highly recommend getting some for your kitchen and trying out new recipes! Hey- it's even vegetarian friendly! How much better can you get??

Thanks Emeril for another recipe!

Now off to the next truffle recipe! Woot!

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Time: 40 minutes

Taste: 8.9

Warm Chicken Sausage and Potato Salad

I am on such a bad binge eating frenzy this week.

Yesterday, I decided to come home and eat a bowl full of ice cream, followed by a handful of flavor blasted goldfish (pizza-yum), to be followed by a handful of gummy bears and to finish it with 9 mini pizzas (at least I made them myself?)

Ugh. And nowwww Bertha is out.. and is staying out. (Bertha is my food baby) Aw man!!

With this weekend looming, I am conflicted with trying to eat healthy and just letting go. On one hand, Eric is visiting and we will be going to the beach- this means I should be in tip top beach body shape.... I should....

On the other hand, we're going to Borgata- this means fine dining (with food that isn't exactly healthy)... plus we're probably going to be burning loads of carbs/energy by gambling all night.. right? right?

Ok. I am bad and I make excuses. At least to make myself feel better- I made this Warm Chicken Sausage & Potato Salad for dinner this week! My conscience thanks you EatingWell.com!



The recipe follows:

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1 pound small potatoes, cut in half
1 5-ounce bag arugula (about 4 cups, gently packed)
12 ounces precooked chicken sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon whole-grain or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Place potatoes in a steamer basket and steam, covered, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add arugula; cover with foil to keep warm.
Cook sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until browned and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add to the potato-arugula mixture.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in vinegar, maple syrup and mustard, scraping up any browned bits. Gradually whisk in oil. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until the arugula is wilted. Season with pepper.

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Yup. That's it. Pretty simple huh?

I used sugar free maple syrup just to be on the extra healthy side and to give it a bit of a kicked- used smokey andouille chicken sausage. I couldn't get a bag of Arugula (boo ShopRite) but I got a bag of mixed greens which I decided to not wilt just so it maintains it's crispy crunch. I usually don't like mustard and was a bit scared about the dressing, but it turned out so simple and delicious and not at all overwhelming!

This recipe, I would say, is a good recipe for those looking for something different than their regular greens with dressing. The potatoes, I felt took away from the salad, and I secretly wished I sauteed it with the sausage some to give it some flavor- way too bland. Although, I probably wouldn't make this again as it didn't wow me too much (meh, I hate salads), I would say that this definitely makes a pretty salad with lots of flavor overall.

Looking for a warm salad with a bit of a kick? Try this salad out and let me know how it goes!

Difficulty: Easy

Taste: 7

Time: 20 minutes

Bean Bolognese

Mmm.. protein. How did I forget about you for all these years????

So as I am sure most of you know, I am a pasta fiend. I eat pasta at least twice a week and will eat double the servings that I should be (I cook a whole box of whole wheat spaghetti and can finish it in two servings.. bad.. I know..) It really baffles me that I can fit this much in my tiny body, and I never understand why I don't feel full and I just want more and more.

I usually just make my spaghetti with vodka sauce and a sprinkle of parmesean on top. Last week I finally decided to cook a pasta recipe from EatingWell.com (Bean Bolognese) and to my surprise- I didn't carboload- thanks protein!




The recipe follows:

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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Mash 1/2 cup beans in a small bowl with a fork.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add wine; increase heat to high and boil until most of the liquid evaporates, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, 2 tablespoons parsley and the mashed beans. Bring to a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining whole beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in the boiling water until just tender, about 9 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
Divide the pasta among 4 bowls. Discard the bay leaf and top the pasta with the sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining parsley.

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Voila! Simple, delicious and filling. For those who aren't experts in the kitchen and can only handle pasta cooking (Ryan) and for those who are vegetarians or hope to be- this is a great dish!

Of course, I omitted a few things (ok, I omitted celery because I hate celery and I think it sucks) but besides that I followed the recipe accordingly. The sauteed onions and carrots give the sauce a sweeter, rich flavor while the beans take place of any meat protein usually included in a bolognese. Delicious!

So I have finally learned the secret (took me long enough)- you need to eat your protein!! Don't be a fatty, eat your protein.

With the warm weather creeping up on us (finally) and most of us getting ready for marathons/jogs around your neighborhood (hopefully), this is a great carboload recipe- and it's healthy! Woot!

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 35 minutes

Taste: 9

Traditional Cheesecake

I'm not sure about you- but I've always found it hard to make a perfect cheesecake. In the past, I've tried a bunch of times to make a good (crackless) cheesecake- but it never comes out just right!!! However, in the past, I didn't use the power that is Ina Garten and now- I have perfected (well, sort of) cheesecake making!

For those of you who have similar experiences with cheesecake and find it a daunting feat to bake that perfect cheesecake- never fear! Ina Garten has saved the day!

The recipe for the cheesecake follows:

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For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.
Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.
To make the topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss berries and the warm jelly gently until well mixed. Arrange the berries on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Delicious.

Being that my family is becoming more and more health-conscious, I cut down on the sugar for the filling (around 3/4- 1 cup). It still tasted great! The lemon zest was a lot more pungent than I thought it would be and was a great addition to the cake- it make it taste more like a lemon cheesecake!

The original recipe came with a mixed berry topping, but again, being health conscious we skipped on that as well- and again, it still tasted wonderful.

My cousins really liked the texture of the cake (yes it uses twice as much cream cheese as a 'normal' cheesecake would so i'm not surprised) and I found that the crust was amazing (and so simple)! Creamy, thick and decadent, I would say that cheesecake is the perfect dessert.

Fairly simple to make- I was really happy with the (crackless) results. If you're looking to try something adventurous and had unsuccessful attempts at cheesecake before- this is the recipe for you! I'm making it again for Mother's Day next week! (But am thinking about omitting the lemon zest this time to make it more traditional)

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Time: 3 hours

Taste: 9

Baked Mac & Cheese

So I just came back from my biometrics collection and have found out that I am perfectly healthy (and my HDL level is 75!) woot! I am weirdly proned to have high cholesterol and although my cholesterol is still higher than normal, it has definitely improved- thank you diet!

This motivates me and makes me want to continue to improve on my healthy eating habits and I really want to make sure I get to that 'perfect' level!

This past week, I got a recipe from EatingWell.com- Baked Mac and Cheese. Recipe follows:

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3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

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I am so happy I made this. Granted, there are definitely other recipes that are a lot healthier on the website. This mac and cheese was so delicious and comforting and is most defiinitely a lot better than your traditional mac and cheese!

I used shells instead of elbow noodles and/or penne because that was what I could find (cheap) and it worked fine. I was a bit weirded out by the cottage cheese- but it turns out that it really blended well with this dish and it really turned out to be one of the best mac and cheese I've ever had. The spinach add some texture to the noodles and I felt great about the whole wheat pasta!.. I'm thinking I should add some garlic powder next time... (garlic powder makes everything that much better)

This was really simple to prepare and really is a great, hearty dish for those new to the kitchen. I can't wait to make it again!

Time: 40 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Taste: 9

Goddammit Bobby Flay!!!

Goddammit Bobby Flay!!! Why is it that I can't help but love your recipes!?!! Complicated yet easy, Bobby's Flay's recipes are perfect for those adventurous chefs out to try something different and a bit more challenging (but not too challenging). This week, I tried to make some mussels and searched around for some recipes- I stopped at Bobby's because it seemed so simple with such simple ingredients (forget the saffron, Ina). It turned out great! (And was a lot more simple than I thought it was going to be) The recipe follows:

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3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning

1 cup dry white wine

2 (1/4-inch-thick) lemon slices

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 1/2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed, debearded

1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes

8 slices crusty Italian bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick

Olive oil

Heat grill to high. Heat oil in heavy large pot on the grates of the grill. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and salt and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, lemon slices, and 1/4 cup parsley; bring to boil. Add mussels. Cover pot and cook until mussel shells open, stirring once, about 6 minutes; discard any mussels that do not open. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large shallow bowl. Boil broth in pot until reduced to 1 cup, about 3 minutes; season, to taste, with pepper. Pour broth over mussels. Sprinkle with tomatoes and remaining parsley. Brush bread on both sides with oil and season with salt. Grill until golden brown on both sides. Serve mussels with bread for dipping.

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Obviously known for his grilling, this recipe was meant for...well, the grill. Since we all know how poopy the weather has been lately, going out and starting the grill was just too much of a hassle- so I just did it on the stove- and it worked out fine! (Besides grilling the bread of course). This recipe was so simple and fast and it came out so delicious! I would add a bit more crushed red peppers- it didn't come out half as spicy as I was expecting it to be, but other than that, the simple flavors were great! Want to impress your friends with your cooking skills? Try this recipe for a seemingly complicated yet completely easy to make dish! It definitely hit the spot. Ok, Bobby Flay, another win for you.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20 minutes

Taste: 8.7

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta

So I'm pretty sure I'm turning into a vegetarian. I've been realizing that a lot of things I have been cooking are great vegetarian friendly meals! Maybe because I'm poor and meat is expensive, but it may also have to do with how delicious vegetables are! Yum! This past week, I thought I'd keep it simple and make a healthy pasta dish (with whole wheat pasta of course). I made Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta! (from EatingWell.com) The recipe follows:

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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium eggplant, (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 plum tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

4 teaspoons capers, rinsed

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, (optional)

12 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or basil

Put a pot of water on to boil. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, vinegar, capers, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and divide the pasta among 6 shallow bowls. Spoon the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle parsley (or basil) on top.

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And there you have it!

Tangy from the tomatoes and vinegar- this pasta dish is great for a light lunch. I used thin spaghetti instead of Angel Hair and this dish turned out spectacular! The soft eggplant with the briney capers was great. I doubt I'll make this dish again anytime soon (I mean, after 3 days of this stuff, i've had enough for a while)- but it is a great dish to try out (and share!)!

Woot vegetarianism!

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20 minutes

Taste: 8.5