Snow and Soup. Snow and soup. And playing.
It’s been snowing so much lately, and I feel like we have barely left the house. Scotty must have shovelled 4 feet of snow off our deck today from just the last couple days. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Chipotle
Tomato, Basil & Chipotle Pasta Salad
Rain, rain, rain, a little sun, and more rain. It’s July, and summer has been almost nonexistent. Not the best summer to be on maternity leave….. Oh who am I kidding, it’s summer and I’m on maternity leave, sun or no sun, I hang with Calla everyday, it’s pretty great.
I haven’t made a pasta salad in years. Years and years. Out of nowhere I’ve developed a craving for them and couldn’t have found a better recipe to cure that craving.
Bowties, macaroni, fusili, all work very nice for pasta salads. The only pasta we had on hand that wasn’t spaghetti or fettucini was penne. A little on the thicker side, and not what I would consider ‘pasta salad material’, but ended up working just right.
Now go on, get some water salted and set to boil, then start letting those noodles soften up.
Basil can have quite a strong flavor to it, and sometimes I find it tastes a bit like liquorice, when it’s turning I think. So pick out the greenest, freshest leaves, about 5, or 10 if you like and chop them nice and fine.
I like cherry tomatoes. I like the burst of juices when you bite into one. I like them more than regular tomatoes in salads. They hold up longer and when halved, they even hold some creamy sauce. Choose the firmest ones, slice in half and set aside.
Cheese is good in pasta salads. Cheddar, Jack, Mozza, almost any really. The original recipe called for Smoked Gouda, which probably would have been perfect, except we had parm, so that’s what we used, and it was pretty great too. So go ahead and grate some cheese, or cut into cute little cubes, and set aside.
Finally, the creamy, spicy dressing. A little mayo, some milk, white vinegar, and a staple in our house, chipolte puree. Mix together in a bowl and you got it, set it aside.
Tomato, Basil & Chipotle Pasta Salad (adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
450g Penne Noodles
1/2 Cup Light Mayo
1/4 Cup Skim Milk
4 tbsp White Vinegar
1 tbsp Chipotle Puree
Salt & Pepper
2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
5-10 Basil Leaves, chopped fine
Bring a medium size pot of water to boil and add noodles. Cook for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, rinse under cold water until no longer hot and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together mayo, milk, vinegar, and chipotle puree. Taste for seasoning.
Transfer cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add dressing and stir well. Add halved tomatoes, grated parm and chopped basil. Mix together well and taste for seasoning.
Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.
Portobello Mushroom Burger
I’m so excited! The show that started our Wednesday Night ventures last year is back on for Season 3. Masterchef! It’s addicting. You really should check it out. It’s all regular everyday people with normal lives and careers, cooking, creating and competing in the kitchen.
I don’t know that I would do so well on Masterchef. There’s always a time constraint on the competitions and I’m a bit of a dawdler in the kitchen, puttering about. Scotty on the other hand, might do quite well.
Just as the judges are about the comment or make their decision….dun-dun-dun… they go to a commercial. So frustrating, but it gets ya hooked. Monday & Tuesday nights it’s on, so trust me, clear an hour out of your evening, and tune in.
On a summer night, there’s nothing quite like a good burger. Beef, chicken, salmon, veggie, even mushroom. Portobello Mushroom that is, makes a excellent replacement for a patty. Marinated, grilled, pan fried, baked or sliced and sauteed.
We tried Ciabatta buns this week, and again, I was convinced they would not turn out. This time, simply because I knew I should have used bread flour, but did not have any on hand, so went with whole wheat and all-purpose. They did turn out, just more of a dense ciabatta bun. So make sure you have Bread Flour if you’re looking for a higher dough rise and light bun in the end.
Mushroom Marinade
4 Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 tsp red chile flakes
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Burger Fixings
Handful of Spinach
1/4 Avocado, sliced
1/2 Tomato, sliced
1/2 Red Onion, sliced
1/2 Red Pepper, sliced
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 cup Mayo
2 tsp Chipolte Puree
Clean mushrooms and place in a baking dish. Whisk together marinade, and pour over mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
Slice all veggies, grate cheese and set aside. Mix together mayo and chipolte puree and set aside.
Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Remove mushrooms from sauce and add to saucepan. Cover and let cook about 5-10 minutes per side.
Dress buns with toppings and add mushroom.
Serves 4.
Whole Wheat Ciabatta Buns
2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp Dry Active Yeast
1 3/4 cups Warm Water
1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
In a bowl, whisk together flours, yeast and water until you cannot whisk anymore. Knead in the bowl with your hand until the dough comes together in a sticky ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot, until tripled in size, about 2 hours.
Remove dough to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with salt and knead into dough. Knead dough for a few minutes until sticky and elastic. Place in lightly floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Warm oven to 450F. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Break dough into 4 large pieces and form into balls. Place on baking sheet and let rise another 20 minutes. Bake buns for 20 to 25 minutes until golden on top and buns sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Serve warm.
