Creamy Orzo

CREAMY ORZO

YUM! This was so good! I'll definitely make it again. I didn't add the peas, but ended up serving them as a side. Matt picked out the tomatoes, WHATEVER! I loved it, so that's all that matters!

P.S. I halved this recipe and it still made a TON!

Creamy Orzo
(Food Network - Giada)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (I omitted)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes (I added)
Parsley (I added)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve.

Pork Milanese

PORK MILANESE

I had some pork chops thawing out in the fridge and went on a mad-search for a new pork chop recipe. This recipe was very good ... not overly healthy, but good. The pork chops were very moist and the crust was delicious.

Pork Milanese
(Food Network - Giada)

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 large eggs
4 boneless pork loin chops, pounded thin to 1/3 inch-thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Coarsely crush the panko into a large shallow bowl. Stir the cheese into the panko. Lightly beat the eggs in another large shallow bowl. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper. Dip the pork, 1 piece at a time, in the egg, allowing the excess to drip off, then dredge the pork in the crumb mixture, patting to coat completely. Place the pork on a small baking sheet.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the pork to the hot oil and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then transfer them to a clean baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven.

Sausage, Pepper & Onion Subs

SAUSAGE, PEPPER & ONION SUBS

I really am a huge fan of Giada's. I have had such great luck with her recipes. Tonight I made her Sausage, Peppers & Onions and served it on fresh bakery sub buns! YUM! This was easy and so flavorful. Also a bonus, we have enough leftovers for tomorrow. Can't complain about that!!! This is so, so good and would even be tasty with pasta!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage (I used sweet Italian sausage)
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional (we used a heaping tsp!)
Mozzarella cheese, optional (we put a slice on each sub)
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Serve in bowls. Or, if serving as a sandwich, split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

Tonight I decided to use up the pork chops that were in the freezer. I've seen many raves about this particular recipe, so I thought it was time to give it a try!

This recipes is a Giada recipe and, as always, was great! The only change I'll make for next time is to cut the pork chops in half lengthwise, so that they are thinner. Matt and I are not huge fans of thick pork chops.

Enjoy!

PARMESAN-CRUSTED PORK CHOPS (Giada)

INGREDIENTS:

2 large eggs

1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan

4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side.

**After browning the chops, I transferred them to a baking dish and cooked them in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. This helped to crisp the crust and to ensure they were cooked through.**

Turkeyballs!

This is the second time I've made this, but the first time I've blogged it. I haven't made any repeater dishes lately. I've been on a kick of cooking as many different meals as I can. Nonetheless, I made an exception with this dish. It's so easy and flavorful.

To be quite honest, I've never been a huge meatball/meatloaf fan. This recipe, however, has changed my perspective on all things balls (you know what I mean!!). This is definitely a recipe to try. You'll be blown away with how incredibly good it is!

I served over pasta and used a store bought jar of spaghetti sauce.

My adaptation to Giada's recipe is below.

TURKEY MEATBALLS (Giada)

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons skim milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Romano
1 pound ground turkey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, add bread crumbs and milk. Mix until well combined. Mix in eggs and 1/2 cup Romano cheese. Mix well. Add turkey and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into golf-size balls.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium/medium high heat. When almost smoking, add the meatballs and, without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 4-8 minutes, covered. Turn meatballs and brown the other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown.

Remove meatballs from pan and place on a paper towel covered plate, to help remove excess oil.

Add the spaghetti sauce to pan and add meatballs to the sauce, bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow meatballs to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm on stove. Be careful not to over-handle the meatballs since they are soft and fragile.

TIPS:

Be sure to make the meatballs as close to golf-ball sized as you can. The first time I made this, I made the meatballs larger and they were harder to work with.

When turning the meatballs to brown/cook, be very gentle. I recommend using a spoon, scraping under and lifting, to avoid breaking the meatballs. The larger the pan the better. A little extra room really helps when flipping the balls.

I covered the pan the entire time the meatballs were cooking.

Also, I found it easier to add the meatballs to the sauce vs. adding the sauce to the meatballs.

Oh, so good . . Pasta e Fagioli

OMG! What a FABULOUS dish. It was so easy and had such wonderful flavor. I followed the receipe closely, but my changes are in bold...

Pasta e Fagioli (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I used 3 big garlic cloves and pressed them)
5 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of garbanzo beans)
3/4 cup elbow macaroni
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional (I used 1TB for extra heat)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine (I didn't have cheesecloth, so I used a coffee filter). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth* (I pureed 2 cups). Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Return the puree to the remaining soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Red Wine Risotto with Peas

Can you tell I like risotto...and wine? I had cracked a bottle last night while my sister was over, so there was a tiny bit left to throw in the pot!!

This is portioned more for a side, but we ate it as a meal and it worked perfectly. Another great Giada recipe. The flavors melded together so nicely and it was so creamy. Matt loves peas, so this was great. Next time, I'll leave the peas out of my serving. Peas really aren't my thing!

RED WINE RISOTTO WITH PEAS (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
I added a thin slice of pancetta in with the onions

DIRECTIONS:
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

Saucy!

So, I had some leftover pancetta from my Dirty Risotto, so I searched for a receipe to use it up! I came across this receipe on the Food Network, of course created by Giada. After all of the Giada raves, I knew this would probably be a great dish....and it was! The sauce was oh-so flavorful! It was such a hit with my sister and husband. They both had seconds. This is the first meal with no leftovers!!

The only things I did different with the recipe was that I added the Pecorino Romano to the sauce vs. tossing it in and I didn't toss the noodles with the sauce. I'm more of a saucy girl, so I like to add extra to my noodles!

PASTA WITH PANCETTA AND TOMATO SAUCE (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:

6 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

Sea salt (did not use)

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes (used a couple pinches)

1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

1 pound linguine

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

DIRECTIONS:

Add the pancetta to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, to taste.

Meanwhile, boil the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the linguine with the sauce in the skillet, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid until the pasta is moist but being careful not to dilute the sauce. Toss with the cheese. Season with salt, to taste

Get Dirty!!

I was looking for a recipe that incorporated Italian sausage, as I had some I needed to use up in the freezer. I have never cooked risotto before, so this recipe was a little intimidating. To my surprise, it was so EASY!! Be patient. Slowly stirring that broth in is key. It's so worth the wait!

The flavor is incredible and the servings are so filling. I will definitely make this recipe again!!

DIRTY RISOTTO (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (make sure you use reduced-sodium!!)

2 tablespoons butter

2 ounces pancetta, chopped

1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt (I did not add this)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.