Top
Navigation
Cooking Blogs
CookEatShare Featured Author
view my recipes
CookEatShare Featured Author
Half Hour Meals

Entries from October 1, 2008 - November 1, 2008

Thursday
Oct302008

Pasta Carbonara

Somewhere in the past, I remember an old-school dish called Carbonara.  Maybe it was Spaghetti Carbonara.  I'm not sure.  Anyway, last night all my dinner plans were ruined because whatever I had taken out of the freezer was not thawed.  No wonder I hate using that thing.  So I had to make dinner up from whatever I could find, and I saw some bacon and pasta.  This is what I call Pasta Carbonara, though I'm pretty sure it's not the real thing.  All I can say is, it was good.  BTW, husband says this would also be good with some shrimp added.  Once in a while, he's right.

Pasta Carbonara Recipe


  • 1 LB box large tubular pasta – or Penne

  • 1/2 LB bacon, chopped

  • Olive Oil

  • 1 medium onion, sliced

  • 1 large garlic clove, sliced

  • Wine (or vermouth), about 1/2 cup

  • 1 jar red spaghetti sauce – 32 oz.

  • Salt & pepper

  • 2-3" block sharp Provolone cheese, grated (or whatever you have)


Boil pasta.  Cook bacon just under crisp.  Drain.  Wipe pan and add olive oil.  Sauté onion and garlic.  Add wine.  Stir and cook about 3 minutes.  Add red sauce.  Add drained pasta.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in cheese.  Good.

AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
in
Wednesday
Oct292008

Tortellini and Spinach Soup with Italian Sausage

Tortellini soup
This is a great hearty soup that I make in the cold weather months. My husband and his hunting buddies request it every year! It’s a forgiving soup, meaning you really can’t mess it up and you can be flexible with the ingredients (if you don’t like carrots, add zucchini). For the sweet Italian sausage, you can either use ground, or bake links and slice them in bite size pieces. I’ve even used shredded chicken (boil chicken breast and hand shred) when I didn’t have sausage. The only rule on the tortellini is either the small frozen or Barilla’s no preservative bagged cheese and spinach. The fresh larger tortellini gets too big and mushy after simmering. The fresh spinach added at the end makes the soup. I’ve served this to guests, who swear they hate spinach, and they loved it.

Tortellini and Spinach Soup with Italian Sausage


  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

  • 2 large carrots cut into bite size pieces

  • 6 cups beef broth (I use one 48 oz. College Inn Beef Broth)

  • 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (I use Contadina plain tomato sauce)

  • ¼ cup red wine

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

  • 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)

  • 8 oz frozen or bagged cheese tortellini (or cheese and spinach tortellini)

  • 1 bag freshly washed spinach (no need to cut stems, they will wilt down)

  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese


Sauté Italian sausage in your favorite large soup pan until cooked through, breaking up with spoon. Transfer sausage to a bowl, saving about 2 tablespoons of fat. Add onion, garlic and carrots to saved fat and sauté until onions turn translucent. Return the sausage to the pot and add beef broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, basil and oregano. Simmer for about 45 minutes (there will be a lot of broth, remember the tortellini will absorb much). Add tortellini and cook until tender (just simmer, don’t boil soup) about 15 minutes. About 10 minutes prior to serving, add spinach (you may need to add it in 2 doses if your pan is small). Place lid on soup and simmer until spinach is wilted. Spoon into individual serving bowls and sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese.

AuthorHelen Kenney | Comment2 Comments | Print ArticlePrint Article
in , ,
Tuesday
Oct282008

New Home Cooks!

I am very proud to announce the arrival of two new Home Cooks to our blog.  Heather Forsyth, a life long friend, will be posting new recipes every Monday, and Helen Kenney, a life long sister, will be posting on Wednesdays.  They are both wonderful cooks with lots of experience, and they each bring their own unique talent and flavor to the site.   Be sure to check in every week to see what they've got cooking!

AuthorTrevy Thomas | Comment1 Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
in
Saturday
Oct252008

Spicy Sausage Stuffing

I know it's a little early to be thinking about Thanksgiving
recipes, but I'm trying to become one of those organized people.  It occurred to me that some of you reading
this might already be organized and out looking for this year's holiday
recipes, so I thought I'd start sharing. 
This stuffing is delicious.  You
can make the whole thing a day ahead, including cooking it, and just heat it up
before you serve.  Or you can do it
almost all the way through, withholding the eggs and parsley, then picking up
from that step the next day.  Either way,
you're sure to be asked for the recipe. 

Spicy Sausage Stuffing

12 servings


  • 1 pound egg bread, crusts trimmed, cut into ¾ inch cubes

  • 1 pound bulk sausage (Chorizo is good in this)

  • ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

  • 3 large celery stalks, chopped

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

  • 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/5 teaspoon dried

  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or ¼ teaspoon dried

  • ¾ cup chicken stock or canned low-salt broth

  • 2 eggs, beaten to blend

  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

 
Preheat oven to 400 F. 
Arrange bread on baking sheet. 
Bake until light golen, about 12 minutes.  Cool.

Cook sausage in heavy large skillet over
medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling with fork, about 8
minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer
sausage to large bowl.  Add butter to any
drippings in same skillet; melt over medium-high heat.  Add celery, onion, bell pepper, poultry
seasoning, thyme and sage to skillet; sauté 10 minutes.  Add mixture to sausage, then mix in
bread.  Add ¾ cup stock to same skillet;
bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. 
Pour over stuffing.  Season with
salt and pepper.  Add eggs and parsley;
toss well. (Bake 30 to 45 minutes at 350 until hot).

Turkey Stuffing on Foodista
AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
in
Wednesday
Oct152008

Mexican Manicotti Recipe

This is one of the first dishes I cooked for a date.  Well, not this exact recipe, but one I got
from a friend who swore it was foolproof (meaning even a fool could make
it).  I labored hard over it, surprised
at how difficult this cooking stuff was, but was very pleased with the
result.  Sadly, my date was not.  He complained it was dry and tasteless.  Eventually, I dumped him, though not nearly
fast enough.  Today, I don't work so hard
in the kitchen, and I rarely get complaints. 
That is probably because a real man appreciates being cooked for and,
thankfully, that's the sort of I have now. 
Feel free to mess around with this recipe.  I only cook the noodles halfway so they're
easier to fill.  If anyone complains, cut
them off – from the kitchen or anywhere else you'd like.

Mexican Manicotti Recipe


  • 1 box manicotti noodles

Filling:


  • 4 scallions, chopped

  • 5-8 mushrooms, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 4-oz can chopped (or sliced) olives

  • 2-oz can diced green chiles

  • 15-oz container ricotta cheese

  • dab of plain yogurt – Greek style (or drained)

  • 2-3 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

  • small handful fresh chopped cilantro

Topping:


  • 2-3 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese

  • 8 oz spicy salsa 

Cook the noodles half as long as suggested.  Drain and keep on waxed or parchment paper or
a cookie sheet to cool.  Heat oven to 400
degrees.  Mix together all filling
ingredients.  Pour a little salsa into
the bottom of a big baking pan.  Squish filling
into half-cooked noodles and arrange in baking sheet.  Top with remaining salsa and jack cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.

AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
in