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Fast & Easy Dinner: Linguine With Arugula and Edamame

partysugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:47 -0700

If you're a busy home cook, be sure to keep your pantry stocked with a good whole-wheat pasta. It's the ideal ingredient for rapid, but varied cuisine. You can mix it with everything from bacon and tomato sauce to veggies and cheese.

In this dish, whole-wheat linguine is tossed with peppery arugula and fresh edamame. It's a quick vegetarian meal that's healthy and delicious. To get the adaptable recipe, read more.

Linguine With Arugula and Edamame
From The Nest

Ingredients

2 cups shelled edamame
8 ounces whole wheat linguine or farro
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups coarsely chopped arugula
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Cook the edamame in boiling salted water until they are crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add the pasta to the same water, and cook according to package directions. Drain it in a colander, drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, and set it aside.
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook 15 seconds. Mix in the arugula, coating it with the oil, and cook until wilted, 2 minutes.
Mix in the edamame and remove the pan from the heat.
Add the drained pasta, stirring until it is warmed through, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the pasta and vegetables among 4 shallow pasta bowls or dinner plates, and top with equal amounts of the cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

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Definition: Edamame

YumSugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 13:28:11 -0800

A Japanese word meaning fresh Soybeans (eda means branches and mame means beans). These beans are harvested early and are usually bright green and are available fresh or frozen. You can find them in Asian markets and many restaurants. They are usually served boiled, but they are sometimes steamed. I enjoy them as a starter to a sushi meal or in a nice salad.

Pronounced: "ed-ah-mah-may"

Must Read: Pestos, Tapenades, & Spreads

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:48 -0800

Much like PartySugar, I'll be paying special attention to the oft-neglected starters when I host this year's Thanksgiving meal. I've not yet determined what they'll be: should I serve soup? Dip in a bread bowl? So I am excited for a new book, Pestos, Tapenades, & Spreads ($17) by Stacey Printz, which offers up an array of spreads to serve when entertaining on the run. Were its offerings worthy of being on the Thanksgiving table? Find out when you read more.

Monday's Leftovers: Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:00:58 -0700

I can't always find ground chicken at the store, so when I do, I stock up on it, and use it in various dishes. Last night, I busted out the wok for a spicy and speedy Thai noodle stir-fry, and tonight I'm using the rest of the ground meat to create a newfangled twist on a familiar favorite: meatballs.

Rather than the typical pork-and-beef mix, I'm taking the meatball to a different level with a mixture of chicken, scallions, and ginger - then tossing in shelled edamame, snow peas, and rice to the mix for a balanced supper. A simple teriyaki sauce ties the whole meal together. Ready for the recipe? Then keep reading.

Ming's Tips For Hosting - and Enjoying! - Your Own Party

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:58 -0700

Last week, I caught up with East-West cooking authority Ming Tsai. He hosted an event at Macy's to encourage home cooks to get involved in their Come Together campaign, a fundraising effort that aims to feed 10 million people suffering from hunger. The concept: host a dinner party, but in lieu of accepting gifts, ask guests to make a donation.

Chef Ming is a huge supporter of the idea. "Not every corporation's doing this, especially during these economic times," he says. In addition to dishing on his pantry essentials, he also shared tips on throwing a worry-free dinner party at your place. Want to stress less at your own soirées? Then keep reading.

Airlines Aiming Higher With Fancier Coach Meals

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:50:20 -0700

These days, airlines are engaged in new flights of fancy: in an effort to set themselves apart from competitors, many have been upping the ante on food offerings.

Airlines began charging for meals post-9/11, but food-for-purchase replacements never fared well. They came with high price tags, questionable freshness, and inventory challenges. But major players have found a way to tackle these issues, and hope to enhance their brand images with a revamped reputation for good food.

Delta Air Lines serves Ben & Jerry's ice cream, cheese plates, and a new array of dishes created by culinary impresario Todd English that includes grilled chicken gyros and almond butter sandwiches. In May, American Airlines partnered with Boston Market, hoping to levy the rotisserie chain's name recognition. Although Hawaiian Airlines has long kept a focus on high-end food, it, too, has tried to elevate coach sales. While meals are free on Hawaiian, paying an additional $10 buys passengers satay chicken with vermicelli, or a sushi bento box with edamame and teriyaki chicken.

Airlines have found savvy methods of measuring the success of food programs, like using credit card readers to monitor the popularity of foods. Do you think the new tactics work? Has airline food gotten tastier?

Come Party With Me: St. Patrick's Day - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:00:16 -0700

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays because everyone goes to the local pub, drinks beer, and is in a great mood. It's also a fabulous time to meet guys, so this year I'm inviting all my single ladies over for appetizers before we head out to the bars. Since some of my girlfriends are vegetarian, I'll offer a meat-free menu of green snacks. To start there's green goddess dressing with green crudités like celery sticks, green beans, edamame, and sugar snap peas. A warm spinach artichoke dip is decadent, but healthy when served with pita wedges. Slices of pizza topped with fresh pesto and arugula are delicious and filling.

Broccoli soup is pretty and portable when placed in small tea cups or shot glasses. To look at these green themed recipes, perfect for any St. Patty's Day soirée, read more.

Green Goddess Dressing
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed parsley leaves
1 to 2 anchovy fillets, optional
1 scallion, coarsely chopped
1/2 small garlic clove
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

In a food processor, pulse parsley, anchovies, scallion, and garlic until scallion and parsley are finely chopped.
Add mayonnaise, yogurt, and vinegar; pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grilled shrimp, fish or crudités. If storing, cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Serves 10.

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Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip
From Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic
1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.
In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Serves 12.

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Pesto Pizza
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1/2 store bought pizza dough
5 tablespoons store-bought pesto
One 3-ounce package thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into pieces (optional)
2 to 3 handfuls arugula leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Invert a large baking sheet and place it on a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat the oven to 500°. Invert a second baking sheet on a work surface and cover it with a sheet of parchment paper. Stretch the pizza dough to fit the parchment paper.
Using the back of a spoon, spread the pesto over the dough.
Slide the pizza and the parchment from the cool baking sheet to the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake until golden, about 7 minutes.
Top with the prosciutto (if using), arugula and Parmesan, and cut into pieces.

Makes one 10x16 inch pizza.

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Creamy Broccoli Soup
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large white onion, chopped
3 small celery ribs, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets
3 1/2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cheddar crisps, optional for serving

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.
Add the broccoli and water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender and puree until smooth.
Season the soup with salt and pepper and serve with the Cheddar Crisps, if desired.

Serves 4.

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Must-Read: Slow and Easy

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:00:16 -0800

If you've seen my Sunday Slow Cooker series, you probably know by now that I consider the electric slow cooker indispensable for convenient, low-maintenance cooking. Naturally, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of Slow and Easy: Fast-Fix Recipes For Your Electric Slow Cooker ($15.61), by the Los Angeles Daily News food editor, Natalie Haughton.
Haughton has penned five other cookbooks, including The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever, so she's clearly spent a lot of time with her Crock-Pot. To find out what I thought of the book, read more.

Pros:

The introduction has helpful information from choosing and getting to know your slow cooker to which foods are most forgiving and which are most demanding.
There's a wide range of recipes, from smoky roasted cashews to gingerbread for dessert, and although the the book contains over 250 recipes, it's surprisingly light.
A "cook's notes" sidebar proves helpful, explaining nuances such as the differences in types of paprika available at the grocery store.

Cons:

The book contains no pictures.
If you don't have interest in a slow cooker, then this book isn't for you.
Many of the seafood recipes require adding in the protein near the end of cooking time, which requires more attentiveness on your part.

Recipes: The recipes cover just about everything. Here are some that caught my attention:

Caponata, Edamame Cheese Dip
Shrimp Chowder, Vegetable Stock
Artichoke Pasta Sauce
Shortcut Lasagna
Mac and Cheese
Turkey Molé
Shrimp Veracruz Style
Beef Lettuce Wraps
Tagine of Lamb With Apricots
Asian-Flavored Quinoa With Broccoli and Chard
Spanish Pistou
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Green Pepper Jelly
Flourless Chocolate Torte

Imagery: None.

Overall Rating: If you're a fan of the slow cooker (and aren't bothered that it doesn't contain pictures), then this informative yet innovative slow-cooker guide would be a useful, go-to book to add to your repertoire.

A Flash in the Pan: Fennel-Crusted Pork Chops

YumSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:23:31 -0800

A few years ago, I picked up a book called A Flash in the Pan. It promised easy meals that could be created in one skillet; it also happened to be on sale. So I took it home and it has become one of my most inspirational books. The recipes are basic, yet flavorful, but everything is so simple and adaptable, that you can really take their ideas and transform them with what you have on hand. This time I decided to actually follow the recipe exactly and cooked up a batch of their fennel-crusted pork chops. The fennel is extremely fragrant and the charred lemons added a real nice balance. To get the recipe - it's one skillet and easy! - read more.

I ended up rounding out my meal by serving it with a side of brown rice and steamed edamame.

Fennel-Crusted Pork Chops and Charred Lemons
From A Flash in the Pan by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard

1 tbsp. fennel seeds
4 center-cut boneless pork chops about 1-inch thick
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Place the fennel seeds in a sturdy plastic bag and use a mallet or rolling pin to roughly crush the seeds. [I used a mortar and pestle.]
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the fennel seeds, pressing them into the surface of the meat.
In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of the oil. Cook the pork chops over medium heat until well browned on both sides and almost completely cooked within, regulating the heat so the seeds don't burn, about eight minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
While the pork is cooking, cut one of the lemons into thin slices, remove the seeds, and set aside. Squeeze two tablespoons of juice from the remaining lemon and reserve.
Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the lemon slices and cook over medium heat until well browned and caramelized, about two minutes. Remove to plate with the pork.
Add the garlic to the pan drippings and cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the broth and reserved lemon juice, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring up any browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about one third, two to three minutes. Return the pork, lemons, and any accumulated juices to the pan, and simmer over medium heat until the pork is cooked through and no trace of pink remains, 2 to 3 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The pork can be cooked up to 1 hour ahead and set aside at cool room temperature. Reheat gently.)
Stir in the parsley and serve.

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You've Seen the Pics, Now See the Menu

YumSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:16:31 -0800

The Oscars are just around the corner - fill in your ballot for a chance to win fab prizes! - and last week I tempted you guys with photos from the Governors Ball preview However, I didn't give a full rundown on what was going to be served. If you were wondering what was pictured in the sea of tastiness, get prepared. I've got the full list - it's huge, over 350 people are on the culinary staff! - and let me tell you, it reads as tasty as the photos. To check out the complete menu, read more.

Antipasti Platter
Smoked Salmon Oscars With Caviar and Crème Fraîche
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad With Citrus Chili Dressing
Thai Spiced Shrimp With Holy Basil and Candied Garlic
Bruschetta of Figs, Goat Cheese, and Organic Prosciutto
Smoked Eggplant With Toasted Flatbread
Asparagus and Chickpea Salad With Mustard Vinaigrette

Butlered Course
Gold Foil Wrapped Baked Yukon Gold With Tsar Nicoulai Caviar and Crème Fraîche

Entrée
Snake River Farms Wagyu Beef With Chinese Broccoli Shiitake Stir-Fry With Red Wine Sauce
Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Vegetable Entrée
Roasted Winter Vegetables Wrapped in Leeks
Black Olive Couscous and Tomato and Radish Compote

Dessert
Sherry Yard’s Oscar Tribute - We'll have more on the dessert station next week!

Sushi Station
Maki Rolls - Spicy Tuna, Sweet Shrimp, Crab, Vegetable
Nigiri - Tuna, Sweet Shrimp, Yellowtail, Salmon, Snapper
Sashimi - Tuna, Yellowtail, Salmon, Snapper
Cucumber Salad, Edamame, Wasabi, Soy, and Pickled Ginger

Noodle Station
Pad Thai Noodles With Tofu, Egg, Bean Sprouts, Thai Basil, Mint, and Peanuts
Short Lo Mein Noodles With Pork, Scallions, Sweet Peppers, and Plum Ginger Sauce

Ceviche Station
Shrimp With Mango, Basil, Golden Tomatoes, and Habanero
Sea Bass With Avocado, Tomatillo, Cilantro and Jalapeño
Scallop With Tomato, Orange, and Chili

Shellfish Station
Shrimp, Oysters, and Crab
Cocktail Sauce, Mustard Sauce, and Mignonette

Tray Passed
Spicy Tuna in Sesame Miso Cone; Mini Kobe Cheeseburgers With Remoulade; Tomato Goat Cheese Tart; Miso-Glazed Black Cod on Rice Cracker; Cucumbers and Smoked Salmon, Steak Tartare Crostini, Spicy Chicken Mango Rice Paper Rolls, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Assorted Pizzas

If the menu has you captivated, check out the pics!