Sunshine Citrus Salsa with Fish

In the middle of winter, you need all the sunshine you can get, and with citrus fruit at its peak of flavor (and lowest price), it's a great time to add the taste of sunshine to any meal.

You'll find this recipe at my new website, Cook and Count!

Tomato Pie (and Pizza, too)

It's a Philly thing. I've seen Tomato Pie listed on pizzeria menus (and sitting on bakery shelves) since we moved to the Philadelphia area 22 years ago. But until this summer, I'd never tasted it.

Erin at Mrs. Mackerelsnapper, OP made sure I had a chance to try Tomato Pie at the Catholic Writers Guild Conference this summer, where she served slices of it along with previews of her upcoming novel, Don't You Forget About Me, which is a murder mystery that actually made me cry. Erin likes Tomato Pie so much that she named her blog after it--and it's a key element in that novel as well.

In my household, the divide between Pizza and Tomato Pie follows gender lines. Because I'm essentially lazy, but I wanted to have my Tomato Pie while the guys ate their pizza, I figured out how to make both--with just one recipe--in the oven at the same time, with a little help from Slice. I took their recipe and ran with it, modifying the crust for the bread machine and changing up the sauce a bit. It might not be exactly authentic, but then again, I've had the Real Thing exactly once.

TOMATO PIE (and PIZZA, too)
This recipe makes one 9-inch square tomato pie PLUS one 16-inch round thin-crust pizza.

For the crust:
11 ounces water
2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 TBL vital gluten
1 scant TBL active dry yeast

Place ingredients in the pan of your automatic bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Use the DOUGH cycle.

For the sauce:
2 TBL extra-virgin olive oil
2 TBL butter
4 garlic cloves, shredded on a microplane
1 TBL dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
1 small onion, peeled (leave the onion whole)
1 TBL sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

In a heavy saucepan (6-cup or larger), heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter melts. Add garlic, oregano, basil and red pepper and cook 2 minutes until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for at least an hour until the sauce cooks down.

Note:  There will be leftover sauce. Freeze it for the next time, or use it to make french-bread pizza, English-muffin pizza or bagel pizza.

I started the sauce right after getting the bread machine set up. The longer the sauce cooks, the better it will taste.

When the bread machine is done, sprinkle your table with flour and dump the dough on the table. Knead a couple of times, then allow to rest 10 minutes.

Prepare a 16-inch round pizza pan and a 9-inch square cake pan by brushing with olive oil. Place one oven rack fairly close to the bottom and the other one about 2/3 of the way up to the top. Preheat the oven to 450.

Separate about 1/3 of the dough and set aside. This will be for the square pan.

Using a rolling pin, form the larger portion of dough into a circle. When it is almost as large as your pizza pan, roll it partially over the rolling pin, then transfer it to the pizza pan. Use your hands to press it closer to the edge and to form a higher crust at the edges.

Place the smaller portion of dough into the square pan and use your hands to get it all the way into the edges and corners. Form a higher crust at the edges of the pan.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the round pizza and a thicker coating on the square one.

When the oven has preheated, place the square pan on the higher rack in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges are crispy and golden-brown.

Sprinkle any pizza toppings you like on the round pizza. Bake at least 15 minutes on the lower rack, watching carefully (don't let the cheese burn!)

After removing pizzas from oven, allow Tomato Pie to cool slightly, then add a dusting of Parmesano-Reggiano or Romano cheese. Serve at room temperature (it tastes great hot, too, if you can't wait...ask me how I know!)

Tomato Pie would be great for lunchboxes, as it doesn't require reheating.

Three-Way Taco Topping

Get the recipe with photo and nutrition information at Cook and Count!

Honey & Lime Fish Fillets

Fish fillets are an easy way to make a Meatless Friday meal. If you purchase individually quick-frozen fish fillets at the supermarket, you'll only need to defrost the fish to make this quick dinner. Fish fillets defrost quickly, so if a visitor shows up in the middle of the afternoon, it's not too late to add another piece of fish to the baking pan. 2-pound bags of IQF fish fillets go on sale regularly at my local supermarket, and for the most part, fish like flounder, tilapia, swai, and whiting can be used interchangeably in recipes like this one.

HONEY-LIME FISH FILLETS

Get this recipe and nutrition facts at Cook and Count!

Garden Marinara Sauce

This sauce is perfect in late summer when there are too many tomatoes around! It will freeze well, and it's great for people who believe there can never be too much garlic in the marinara. I made it with a mixture of red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, but any fresh, ripe tomatoes can be used.

Get the recipe, nutrition information and photos at Cook and Count!

Gnocchi e Fagioli

Here's a meatless dish that comes together in about 20 minutes! It's easy to make and very heart-healthy. You won't even miss the meat in this simple meal. Add other quick-cooking fresh vegetables to change up the flavor.

GNOCCHI E FAGIOLI
(4 servings)

Visit Cook and Count to get the recipe and nutrition information for this dish!

Chesapeake Bay Shrimp

A shrimp dinner is definitely an extravagance, so I only buy shrimp when it's on sale. I also make the meal stretch by serving lots of vegetables or pasta with it so that no one's tempted to inhale an entire pound of shrimp. If you're buying medium shrimp (51/60 per pound) then a dozen shrimp per person is a good rule of thumb.

One of the standbys in my freezer is a bag or two of individually quick-frozen shrimp. I like to keep both raw and cooked shrimp around for quick dinners. When you use precooked shrimp, as in this recipe, you only need to thaw it, then warm it up. I started the rice, then cut and steamed the broccoli, then got to work on the shrimp--and was still waiting a couple of minutes for the rice to be done.

This was fairly spicy, so if that's a deal-breaker, skip the crushed red pepper.

Get the recipe with photo and nutrition facts at Cook and Count!

Gnocchi with Cabbage and Shallots: 52 in 52

I'm taste-testing 52 new-to-me fruits and vegetables this year!

5.  Shallots. Every time I'd come across "shallots" as an ingredient in a recipe, I'd substitute onion. But I decided to try shallots instead, as part of this year's 52 in 52. I discovered that onion isn't really a great substitute; shallot has a distinct flavor all its own. It was a little harder to peel than an onion, but the flat side made it easier to chop.

6. Temple Oranges. It's a good time of year for citrus, so I tried Temples. They're deliciously sweet, but annoyingly full of pits. I guess that's why they were labeled "juice" oranges at the store. I saved the zest as well, and froze it to use in a recipe later.

GNOCCHI WITH CABBAGE AND SHALLOTS

This recipe is based on my "Polish" Gnocchi dish, but with more vegetables. This makes 2 to 3 servings.

1 bag (10 ounces) frozen gnocchi
1 1/2 cups cole-slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 to 2 TBL olive oil
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp freshly-ground pepper
2 TBL Parmesan cheese
1 tsp butter

Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain.
Saute shallots and garlic in olive oil 2 minutes. Add cole-slaw mix and toss to coat. Cover pan and cook 5 minutes until cabbage wilts. Stir in remaining ingredients, tossing until well mixed and butter is melted. Serve immediately.

This makes a great meatless meal if you serve it alongside a green salad.

Creamy Mac & Cheese

When is a mistake not a mistake?  When it turns out that you like the finished product better than it would have been otherwise.  That's what happened with tonight's mac-n-cheese.

I've got this recipe for homemade mac-n-cheese that my older kids really love.  It's easy, and pantry-friendly, and that's what I needed tonight.  And that's the recipe I thought I had turned to in my recipe binder that's in the kitchen.

But no...I'd mistakenly turned to another one.  I didn't realize it until the white sauce was well underway.

We liked this version even better!  So here we go:

Creamy Mac & Cheese

Print Recipe


3/4 pound small shell pasta, cooked al dente and drained
3 TBL butter
3 TBL flour
2 cups milk
pinch of nutmeg
freshly ground pepper (I used a pepper blend with cayenne and black pepper)
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups finely-shredded cheese (Cheddar-Jack is good)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
panko for topping

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan.  Stir in flour until mixture is thick and golden.  Whisk in milk and seasonings slowly and continue to stir until mixture begins to thicken.  Stir in cheese.  After cheese melts, fold in the soup.  Mix in the pasta, then pour into an oiled 9X13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle panko over the top.  Bake 20 minutes at 375, uncovered.

Mac 'n Cheese with Crab

Inspired by a recipe by The Barefoot Contessa, this is my low-rent but very delicious version!

See the whole recipe and nutrition facts at Cook and Count!

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

Wow, this was good. And super-easy.

This is mostly based on a recipe from Epicurious. Below it is as I made it:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined medium or large shrimp (raw, tails on)
2 heaping tbl minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 TBL lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
cooked linguine for 4

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat.

Toss with cooked pasta and serve. Serves 4.

The original recipe called for a garnish of fresh chopped parsley. If I'd had any, I'd have used it. I think it would have been pretty. I also think that next time around I'll use fresh lemon and add a bit of lemon zest in the garnish.

ALCOHOL-FREE SUBSTITUTION:  If you're concerned about cooking with wine, you can substitute 1/2 cup double-strength chicken broth plus a splash of apple-cider vinegar.  I didn't notice a difference in the finished dish.

For your convenience: Printable recipe and shopping list!
Print Recipe | Printable grocery list

Penne Vesuviana

This recipe is loosely based on Amanda's Farfalle alla Vesuviana.

1 pound penne or mini penne pasta, cooked al dente (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
3 TBL olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups crushed tomatoes (if they're fresh) or 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp capers, drained
1/3 cup Italian green olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 tsp each oregano and basil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbl dried parsley flakes or 2 tbl fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for topping

Saute garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add tomatoes, capers, olives, and seasonings, except parsley and cheese. Simmer until the pasta is done. Add pasta water a little at a time if needed to moisten the tomato sauce.
Toss the sauce mixture with the pasta and parsley. Top with grated cheese before serving.

Rainbow Stir Fry

From a Michele Urvater cookbook, The Monday to Friday Cookbook. This is one of the first cookbooks we had when we got married and the recipes give a lot of variations--kind of like what Rachael Ray does. Using this cookbook gave me confidence in the kitchen. This dish is really delicious and very fresh-tasting.

I don't make this recipe exactly as the author wrote it, so here is what I did:

RAINBOW STIR FRY (4 servings)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 bell peppers, cut in chunks (get different colors if possible, it makes the dish look prettier!)
1/2 cup frozen peas (don't need to thaw)
1 small-to-medium onion, chopped
1 tbl minced garlic
2 tbl lemon juice
salt
olive oil for the pan

Heat the oil in the pan and stir-fry the peppers, peas and onion for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and lemon juice and cook 2 more minutes. Add shrimp, stir-frying until the shrimp is cooked. Salt to taste and serve over rice.

This recipe cooks quickly, so start the rice before you put anything in the pan! If you have it all chopped ahead of time, you're probably looking at about 10 minutes total cook time.

Next time I make this I will need to enlarge the recipe: 1 1/2 lb. shrimp, 3 peppers and 1 medium onion. A little more garlic and lemon as well.

NOTE: Instead of frozen peas, snow pea pods are great in this recipe. About a cup of washed, trimmed fresh snow pea pods are all you need.

Go Meatless!

Next week Lent begins, so it's time to start thinking about meatless meals.

I do try to serve a meatless meal on Fridays anyway, but in Lent it's non-negotiable.

The Faith & Family bloggers are compiling some Lenten menus. This roundup is my contribution. With the exception of ONE recipe that I have not yet tried, all of these are tried and true and a regular part of my family's dinner plan. Yes, my kids eat fish. Actually, they love fish. But not all of these are fish recipes, so if fish is not going to be on your table for whatever reason, you can still find plenty of options here.

Pasta with marinara sauce (add shrimp or scallops if you like)

Cheese ravioli with marinara sauce

Cheese-and-salsa quesadillas

Grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (tomato or clam chowder)

"Vegetarian Flips"--like a quesadilla, but add some refried beans and salsa

Baked fish

Teriyaki salmon (Easiest way EVER to make salmon!)

Spanish Garlic Shrimp

Pizza

Veggie calzones (this is a recipe I intend to try soon. You can fill these with just about anything! I'm planning on peppers, onions, cheese and marinara.)

Saffron risotto with shrimp

Shrimp fried rice

Potato and cheese pierogi


Salmon burgers

Homemade macaroni and cheese

Arroz con habichuelas (great with quesadillas or tomato soup)

Pasta e fagioli (you can make this with vegetable stock instead of chicken broth!)

And there's always the "breakfast for dinner" option. French toast and fresh fruit make a nice change of pace.

Wishing you a blessed Lent!

Homemade Mac & Cheese

1/2 lb. macaroni, cooked al dente
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
5 oz shredded Cheddar
1 tsp dried minced onion
3 tbl seasoned bread crumbs for topping

Mix soup, milk, cheddar and onion in saucepan over slow heat until well blended and smooth. Pour over pasta in a casserole dish. Top with seasoned bread crumbs. Bake at 350, 30 to 40 minutes.

My Husband's Family's Pierogi Recipe

It's an old family recipe. This will make a LOT. Enough to feed about 60 people. The family gets together before Christmas Eve to prepare these for the holiday feast. Here it is, in my husband's cousin's words. All filling quantities are basically "eyeballed."

Before you start the pierogies you will have to melt salt pork with onions and make sure you do it in a slow flame otherwise it won't render the salt pork juice.

Dough:
3 cups of flour
1/4 cup of Presto Cake flour
2 beaten eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup of water

Mix it all and if it is too dry take more water. Knead the dough until it is blended then put it into a bowl and plastic on top and put into the fridge. Let it set overnight.

Potatoes:
15 lbs of yukon potatoes
5 tablespoons of melted salt pork
2 blocks of extra sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

After you skin the potatoes boil them and when it is done drain the potatoes then mash the potatoes with salt pork, cheddar cheese and your taste of pepper.


Sauerkraut:
7 large cans of sauerkraut
3 tablespoons of salt pork
1 cup of plain bread crumbs

Drain the sauerkraut then put it into a large pan with the salt pork and your taste of pepper. Let that slow simmer until the sauerkraut is soft and darker. When it is done then you can put the bread crumbs in. If it is still very wet then put more bread crumbs.

My additions to the directions follow. Cousin S. wrote these down for us, and everyone knows how to do these steps:
After the filling is prepared, roll the dough and cut out circles. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling in each circle, fold over and pinch closed. It's easier to do this if someone shows you how. Make sure it's COMPLETELY pinched so there are no "leakers." The only thing worse than "leakers" is when someone mixes up which pan has the potato pierogi and which pan has the sauerkraut!

Place the pinched pierogi on a table to dry. Flip them over to dry the other side. After they've dried, boil until they come to the top. You can freeze them with melted butter (wax paper between layers) at this point, or refrigerate.

To serve, fry in plenty of butter until they're browned on both sides.

My Variations on Rachael Ray's Vegetable "Not-sagna"

1 pound curly pasta (recommended: campanelle or cavatappi by Barilla)
Coarse salt
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup frozen shredded zucchini, thawed & drained
2 cups sliced frozen carrots, thawed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 tsp chopped garlic
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 cups Italian 4-cheese mix (I used a mix of mozzarella, provolone, Asiago and Romano)

Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta to al dente.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add onions and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add defrosted spinach and zucchini, separating into small bits as you handle it, and toss to heat through. Transfer veggies to a dish and return skillet to stove top. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add 2 rounded tablespoons of flour and cook a minute or so, then whisk in stock and milk. Bring to a bubble and thicken the sauce, reducing it 2 to 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add all cheese to the sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts completely. Slide vegetables back into sauce. Drain pasta and mix with the cheese sauce.

In case you're interested, here's the original recipe. I had no ricotta (well, I HAD ricotta, but it was well on its way to Science Experiment Status) so I decided to improvise from there. I find that Rachael Ray's recipes are quite forgiving that way, and this tasted delicious to me.

No one else in the house will want to eat this, so I'll be freezing the rest in individual portions for lunches. I was the only one home tonight, so I figured I'd cook what I like.

The leftovers will also be great with some leftover marinara sauce on top.

Pasta e Fagioli

28-oz can diced tomatoes with sauce
14-oz can diced tomatoes in sauce
14-oz can chicken broth
2 14-oz cans beans (I used Navy beans and small white beans)
2 carrots, peeled and cut up
1 stalk celery, cut up
1 onion, diced
garlic
salt
pepper
rosemary

Simmer a few hours.
Cook some pasta. Add it to the soup, let simmer a couple more minutes, and serve.

It's probably not anything near an authentic recipe, but it tasted good.