Baked Pasta with Spinach and Olives

Some of you will know that I posted about a Homemade Meat Sauce a few weeks ago.  A couple of knights later I was standing in front of the refrigerator wondering what I could make for dinner.

I saw we had a few jars of olives, some cherry tomatoes, spinach, the meat sauce, and shredded cheeses. I though, "I can make a baked pasta out of this.

I sliced up the green olives, tomatoes, and spinach. An easy trick for cutting leafy greens is to roll them up first like a sleeping bag. Then slice down and you'll have nice strips.

I combined all that into a glass casserole dish and added some whole wheat rigatoni pasta. I also added a little bit of chicken stock to be sure there would be enough moisture to cook the noodles. I topped it with a little more shredded cheese and some Italian bread crumbs. I was hoping for a little texture to the top of the pasta.

I covered it with aluminum foil and baked it for about 20 minutes. Then I took the foil off and cooked it for about 5-10 minutes more. Nothing here is harmful to eat raw. So you're are really just cooking it until the pasta is the consistency you like. Some people like a little chew to their "al dente" pasta.

This wasn't an overly cheesy pasta dish like lasagna. I wanted it to be somewhat light because of the spinach and tomatoes. The green onions were great because that briny saltiness played really nicely with the tomatoes and cheese.

I think this was a winner for a quick and pretty healthy meal.

Ham (Bone) & Bean Soup

Some of you will remember that I made a Mustard & Cola Glazed Ham for Easter brunch. I didn't want a pre-sliced spiral cut ham; so I decided to get one with the bone-in and make the glaze myself. I saved that bone in a ziplock freezer bag for later. Everybody, and I mean everybody, I told about my ham bone told me a had to make ham & bean soup. It's hard not to take the advice when it is universally agreed upon.

Is starts simply enough with a classic mirepoix of carrots, onion, and celery. You might also know that I am a big fan of using the celery greens too.

Add them to a Dutch oven with a little olive oil or butter, some minced garlic, and season with salt & pepper. My wife said, "It's amazing how good a few vegetables and garlic can smell." To which I replied, "That's probably why they're so popular."  Many, many dishes begin this same way.

Then I got out my big ham bone. You'll notice there is still quite a bit of meat on there. I had a 15.23 lb ham, and after a while of carving, I just decided enough was enough. Plus, that ham meat will be great in my soup later.

I made a well in the middle of my vegetables and seared the bone off on all sides over medium-high heat.

Then I added six cups of water -- not chicken stock, not bouillon cubes. Just water. You're making your own stock here folks. So let that ham bone do the work for you.  I added some dried thyme and two bay leaves. You could add some more pepper; but I would hold off on any more salt since the ham is already salty.

I put the lid on and let it bubble away at medium-high heat for probably 30-45 minutes. Then I reduced it to medium-low and let it go another 3 hours.

At that point the meat was falling off the bone, in fact, the bone was falling apart. So I let it cool a little on a cutting board and then separated the meat from the bits you don't want to eat. Slimy fat, tissue, and sinew are not appealing to anybody.

I added all that meat back to my soup. Then I drained a can of white beans to add.

I also smashed up a can another can of drained beans to thicken my soup.

Several recipes varied on what else to add to the mix.  Tomatoes and potatoes were suggested as possible additions. I settled on corn for some sweetness.

Stir it all together and taste it to be sure your seasoning is where you want it to be.

Tell me that doesn't look great. I dare you! It was a rainy Sunday afternoon in spring and the temperatures had dropped a little. This was the perfect activity to add to a day filed with NBA playoffs and a nap. Letting the soup bubble away while you're sleeping isn't a bad way to cook. And then to wake up and finish off this beauty was a great way to end my weekend.

There is a real depth of flavor here. I think it's more rich than a chicken stock because of all that ham. And the beans bulk it all up so it's hearty. But there is tons of protein in the beans, and a lot of great vegetables. So this is a soup you can feel good about eating. We served it with some corn bread.  I forgot to garnish it with sour cream and spicy brown mustard. But that's what leftovers are for!

(The Mrs had that last night and said it was great.)

Mediterranean Pizza

My wife is an excellent pizza maker. I had to learn restraint from her, because I was overloading my pizzas and they never turned out as good as hers. So when she suggested we make pizzas and watch a movie Saturday night, I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do.

I love watching movies. And I love it even more if someone else cooks pizza for me. So I just got to sit back and relax ... and poke my nose in a for a couple pictures for the blog.

This pie has black olives, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, my (yes, they go on just about everything) pickled red onions, and spinach.

Notice how sparingly she used the mozzarella cheese. If that had been me, it would have been covered. But then it wouldn't have turned out so well. So take a tip from my wife, and use a deft hand.

The briny olives go really nicely with the artichokes and cherry tomatoes. The pickled onions are a nice compliment to the tomato sauce in this lite & bright pizza.

We had some Greek salads and a more traditional cheese & pepperoni pizza to round out our dinner and a movie. Sorry the lighting isn't great in this picture. But I like it dim when I'm watching movies.

Thanks honey!

Homemade Meat Sauce

My wife & I like to watch "Chopped" on Food Network. Sometimes since it's just the two of us, we can run pretty low on groceries in the house. On such a night, I looked around to see what I could make.

Aha. I can make a meat sauce. I think it's off to the left in the picture above, but we had a pound of ground turkey.  The key is to make that taste like Italian sausage. But I felt up to the task.

No onions, huh? No problem. I'll just use the bulb ends of some green onions.  I threw that into a sauce pan with some olive oil and garlic. 

Then I browned off the meat with crushed red peppers, oregano, minced garlic, basil, cracked black pepper, and a spinach & herb seasoning. And I decided to throw the green parts of the green onions as well. What the heck, right?

Next, I added a can of crush tomatoes and some chicken broth. I also added two bay leaves. Those are always fun to see if you can find them later. If not, someone is likely to end up with one in their mouth -- which is not a fun experience.  I would normally add some red wine; but we didn't have a bottle open. A little trick to get a similar flavor is to use some balsamic vinegar.  Then I added the tomato sauce that I had with the parmesan-garlic bread post before, and let it bubble away for a while.

The key is to taste your sauce. If you fee like something is missing, then add it. I got this pretty spot on. I knew because my wife walked in the door and announced, "Something smells good."

You could certainly just pour some sauce from Prego or Ragu right out of the jar. But there is quite a bit more satisfaction from making it yourself. And canned meat just doesn't sound that appealing to me.

Quick Parmesan Garlic Bread

This is something I have made for a long time. It's a super quick & easy compliment to any Italian dish you make. I'll give you a few pointers to make it easy and foolproof.

This can be made with regular sliced bread. It's alright. But when you have some French bread or Italian bread it's even better.

One time I sliced right into the webbing of my hand in between me thumb and pointer when I was slicing some bread (while holding it). My old roommate, who has been trained at culinary school, pointed out just how wrong my technique was. This seems simple: but just set it down on the counter, place your hand on top, and slice all along the length. It's that simple.

Spread out some butter or margarine, then sprinkle (VERY carefully) some garlic salt on top. You have to use a deft hand or it will be overly salty and unappealing.  In this case I also decided to shred some aged Parmesan cheese on top.

A little Italian seasoning at the end is also a nice touch. Then bake them in the oven until they have toasted up nicely and are golden brown. It should be crunchy on the outside, but still soft in the middle.

Nothing to it! They are great for mopping up sauce like I'll post in the next entry.

Cinco de Nachos

Corny name, I know.  But yesterday was Cinco de Mayo and I wanted to celebrate. I decided a plate of loaded nachos and a Dos Equis was about the perfect way to celebrate an arbitrary military victory as anything else.

When I was in high school we used to hang out at a friend's basement. His mom used to bring down nachos, and we thought she was the coolest mom ever. All she did was throw tortilla chips in the microwave with shredded cheese. But we thought it was amazing. This is a slight step up from those plates, if I must toot my own horn.

It starts very similarly, with an arrangement of tortilla chips. But then I added my own pickled red onions and pickled jalapeno peppers. I also added black olives and some ground meat that was already cooked. Then I added shredded sharp cheddar and let it spend a few minutes under the broiler.  That will help keep your chips crispy, where as the microwave can make them soggy.

I finished it with some sour cream and fresh cherry tomatoes. You could also uses salsa or hot sauce, green onions, or even cilantro.  I think the addition of some cool ingredients at the end plays a nice counter-balance for all the hot parts. And if you already have onions & peppers pickled, this goes together super quick. And it makes a great appetizer if you have a crowd. Just make a large platter of this and your guests will be happy for sure.

I like these way too much. I had a brief spell where I was making these far too often as a "snack" after work (in my 30's). This was my dinner; so I didn't have to feel guilty about it at all. They are basically like deconstructed tacos if you really think about it.

Ham & Cheese Omelet

I told you all that I had to find uses for my leftover Easter glazed ham. After one (two, or three) just straight-up leftover plates. I had loaded baked potatoes, grilled ham & cheese, and now this nearly Denver omelet. I didn't use any bell peppers; so I don't think it constitutes. And I decided to finish mine with Thai chili paste and a few leaves of cilantro. So it definitely wasn't your typical Denver omelet.

Start by melting some butter over medium-low heat (about a 4 out of 10).

Toss in a few finely diced shallots and let them soften a minute or two.

I also like to saute down some sliced cherry tomatoes for a little while. Then I pull them aside and add the eggs. Whip them like crazy so you get a lot of air into them first.

Carefully drag the outsides into the middle to get the texture you want; but don't mix the eggs too much or you'll have scrambled. If you want to just leave it alone, that's fine too. A lot of times I will just leave it alone. Just be sure you get it cooked through on the top so it isn't runny when you serve them.

Season with a little salt & pepper.  After your eggs have set up, add your toppings back and carefully fold one side over. I sliced the last of my Easter ham up to be the star in this omelet. And I added a bit of shredded cheddar-jack cheese to mine as well.

Slide that beauty carefully out onto a plate and add just a few more pieces of shredded cheese so they melt and create a nice presentation. Then I like to add some green onions on top for some color & texture. As I mentioned before, I also opted for Thai chili paste and cilantro.  They actually worked well to break from the richness of the ham, cheese, and eggs.

I have found three eggs to be perfect. You can get away with just two, but it will be thinner. And any more than three (plus filling, and country potatoes) and you will need a nap after breakfast. And that isn't a very adult way to start my Saturday.