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Archives for June 2013

one-pan pasta possibilities are endless

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Tom doesn’t get my fascination with things that cook in one pot. It is a serious love and I have already talked about it once in the course of my magazine challenge and it is coming up again. I am over the moon about this new recipe and have planned a bunch of variations already. It has revolutionized weeknight pasta for me.

This recipe is coming to you from the June issue of Martha Stewart. The most important thing you need for this recipe is a large straight-sided skillet. You want high straight sides that will hold the water you will need to add. I doubt this would work in a pot because the water wouldn’t evaporate at the same rate. The only prep that takes much time is slicing the onion and garlic. Dinner is on the table 10 minutes from when the water boils.

For a such a simple recipe it creates a pasta dish with amazing flavor and a creamy sauce.

Add 12 ounces of pasta to a pan. I don’t know where the Martha Stewart people buy their pasta but most stores sell pasta in 16 ounces. So if you find yourself in this predicament just divide the pasta into 4 equal parts and use 3 parts.

Add one onion thinly sliced and 4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

Add 12 ounces of cherry tomatoes. If your tomatoes are larger you could cut them in half before putting them in the pan.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flasks, basil, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt. I added extra red pepper flakes because we like it spicier.

Add 4 1/2 cups of water and turn heat on high.

Once the water boils toss pasta with tongs and keep a close eye on the pan until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.

Serve with grated cheese, basil for garnish and enjoy.

You can find the official recipe, a video and some other reviews on the Martha Stewart site.

Want to change this up a little here are some of the ideas I came up with that I plan on trying.

  • Make recipe above don’t add red pepper flakes, add more basil and serve with fresh mozzarella balls for a caprese pasta
  • Use only 6 oz of tomatoes and add 6 oz cubed zucchini
  • 3 or 4 minutes before pasta is done add some shrimp
  • Add a can of tuna at the end for some added protein
  • Add peas and garnish with crispy bacon or pancetta

The possibilities are really endless and they would all be done in 20 minutes start to finish. If you think of any other please share them in the comments.

If you love one-pot meals as much as I do check out this link for a few more recipes you might love.

creamy leek and bacon pasta

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For years I never knew what a leek was or what to do with it. Then I got a CSA box and made the mistake of signing up in the winter. CSA stands for community supported agriculture and some farms bring in money by selling subscriptions to their farms. If you subscribe then every week you pick up your box of veggies and maybe eggs. It is a fun way to get fresh produce, support small farms and it makes you get really creative with what you cook. Like I said, I signed up in the winter. Now in California we are lucky enough to have fresh produce growing year round. Problem is not a lot grows in the colder, rainy months. I had to find lots of recipes to use greens, spinach and leeks so they didn’t go to waste. Turned out leeks are delicious and probably overlooked by many at the grocery store. Because of how leeks grow you will need to clean them thoroughly to get rid of the dirt in between the layers. If you want to give them a try here is a great recipe you can make quickly any time of year.
Leeks and pancetta
I used already diced pancetta to cut down my prep time
saute in a pan
add cream and toss with pasta
There is a little more too it than that but honestly not much. It is really a quick pasta and can be ready in 30 minutes. If you love pasta carbonara but don’t like the raw egg that recipe calls for try this a replacement. The leeks provide a nice sweetness. This meal is part of my magazine challenge and you can find the full recipe at Bon Appetit. This was in a great issue that was full of pasta recipes. Creamy Pasta with Leeks and Bacon from Bon Appetit February 2013.

one cake 9 sticks of butter

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I am a sucker for magazines at the checkout counter and that is why in my Baker’s Dozen goals this year I vowed to cook from all of the magazines I purchase. I hoped it would curb my magazine buying and it has a little but when I see a best of issue of Fine Cooking they are hard to turn away from. Even harder are the pretty Martha Stewart Collectors edition like this Cakes and Cupcakes edition.

There are some amazing cakes displayed on these pages and the recipes in the back are great basics that you could turn into any cake creation of your liking. While I failed you by posting this after this issue is off newsstands you can order it by calling Martha Stewart Single Copy division at 1-800-274-6800.
I made the chocolate butter cake with the carmel butter cream. Which added up to a whopping 9 sticks of butter in one cake. We loved it at the house but like a lot of the sweets it went straight to work the next day. The crew never seems to mind getting our leftovers from the night before. Some people are still talking about this cake and it’s crazy amounts of butter.

I am still working on getting the lighting right during these evening photo shoots. The bottom photo of the icing is truer to the color. I thought that a carmel icing would have come out more of a butterscotch color but it had a nice carmel taste and it wasn’t overly sweet. The fact that the icing wasn’t too sweet was the most commented on aspect of this cake.

If you would like to make the frosting you can find it at Martha Stewart with great directions.
One of my favorite features of this magazine is that the basic cake recipes come with cooking times for different size cake pans and cupcakes. Below is the chocolate butter cake recipe just as it appeared in the magazine.

Chocolate Butter Cake

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans
1/2 cup boiling water
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter cake pans (see bottom for more info)*; line wiht parchment. Butter parchment; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. For cupcakes, line muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Stir cocoa and the boiling water in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms; let cool. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs in a slow stream, mixing until incorporated and batter is no longer slick.
4. Gradually whisk milk into cocoa paste. With mixer on low speed, gradually add both flour and cocoa mixtures to the butter mixture.
5. Divide batter among prepared pans, smoothing tops with and offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, according to the times below.

8-inch round layers 35 to 40 minutes

9-inch round layers 50-55 minutes
9-by-13-inch cake 45-50 minutes
cupcakes: about 25 minutes

Transfer pans to wire racks to cool 10 minutes. Turn out cakes or cupcakes onto racks to cool completely.

*Recipe yields enough for

Three 8-inch round layers
Two 9-inch round layers
One 9-by-13-inch sheet
3 to 4 dozen cupcakes

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