Potato & Spaghetti Frittata

In the true spirit of a peasant kitchen I don't like to waste food.  I always try to use up everything that I buy.  One of my favorite ways to use leftovers is in a Frittata.  Frittata's are great because you can add almost anything to them.  Usually it's leftover vegetables that I don't want to turn into soup in the bottom of my fridge but this morning I had some left over boiled potatoes from last night's dinner and some spaghetti from 2 days ago as well as some cherry tomatoes. When I was younger my father used to make his famous "farmer's breakfast".  It was the only thing he cooked but my brother and I loved it.  Basically it was eggs with potatoes, spaghetti if we had some left over as well as bacon and onion.  It was delicious!  This morning I didn't have bacon but into the pan the potatoes and spaghetti went to heat up. 

The trick is to add the potatoes first and cook them very, very slowly.  You don't actually want them to fry but just heat up slowly until they are very soft.  Almost like velvet in your mouth.  When they are almost ready add the spaghetti and cook on low for a while.  Again you only want to cook it until it's almost crisp but not crunchy.  Add the tomatoes at the last minute.  I also had some basil growing on my patio so I added that. Once the tomatoes are just warm add the egg mixture. About 3 - 4 large eggs beaten with a little milk, salt & pepper is good.

Once the eggs on the bottom of the pan have cooked I add a little grated parmesan and put it under the broiler until the eggs are no longer runny. Once it's ready I let it cool for a few minutes in the pan and then it's ready to serve.  

 The great thing about Frittata's are that they can be eaten hot right away for breakfast but they are also yummy at room temperature for lunch or dinner served with a salad.

What's your favorite way to use up leftovers?

Banana Bread with Toasted Walnuts

If you're anything like me you always have over ripe bananas in your kitchen.  I love bananas but only when they're barely ripe.  Not even. I like them when they are still firm and even just a little green.  To me there is almost nothing as unappetizing as a banana that is fully ripe or starting to become mottled with brown spots.  Because of this I always have bananas in my kitchen that I won't eat as is.  As a result I've tried many, many recipes for Banana Bread and this is the best I've found so far. It has a deep banana flavor, plenty of moisture, and a nice, light texture.  With a cup of coffee it makes the perfect afternoon snack but it's also a great treat for breakfast.

Best Banana Bread Recipe 
12 servings, 1 loaf

      

      2 cups all-purpose flour

      1/2 cup sugar

      3/4 teaspoon baking soda

      1/2 teaspoon salt

      1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped

      3 ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2

      cups)

      1/4 cup plain yogurt (I use Greek)

      2 large eggs, beaten lightly

      6 tablespoons butter, melted then cooled

      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

 Grease and flour bottom and sides of nonstick 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

  Combine dry ingredients together in large bowl and set aside.

  Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in

  medium bowl.

  Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until

  just combined and batter looks thick and chunky.

  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and

  toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.

  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for 4 days, on the

  counter for 2 days. 

 As I mentioned this is the best recipe I've found so far but if you have one that you think is great I'd love to try it too!  Drop me a line or send me a link.

Classic Bruschetta

There is nothing that tastes like summer to me more than a ripe, flavorful tomato! When they're in season I love to prepare a classic tomato bruschetta.

First make sure you have the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find. I use the small cherry or grape tomatoes as I find they have the best flavor for the bruschetta and are the easiest to work with. It's important to squeeze out the seeds and juice.  I know a lot of people don't bother with this step but it really does improve the flavor and texture of the bruschetta. It's very easy and doesn't take that much more time.  You just cut the stem end off of the tomato and squeeze the other end gently until the seeds and juice are released from the open end of the tomato.

Then chop the tomatoes.  I prefer fairly small pieces but if you prefer larger pieces that's fine too. This is a rustic dish and there really is no right or wrong way.  I also like to prepare my oil mixture in advance.  I use about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of good E.V. olive oil depending on how much I'm making. I add approximately 2 - 3 finely chopped cloves of garlic to the oil. The authentic Italian way is to rub the garlic over the toasted bread slices but I prefer to let the garlic meld with the oil a little to get a more intense flavor. I've never been afraid of a little garlic! I also add some fresh rosemary and thyme if I have it.

Once the oil mixture has had a chance to sit for a while I then pour it over the chopped tomatoes and add lots of basil and salt & pepper to taste.  Don't be afraid to be generous with the salt as the tomatoes will soak it up.  Generously top toasted slices of a good quality (important!) baguette with the bruschetta mixture.  Add a glass of a nice Pinot Grigio and enjoy the taste of summer!

 What's your favorite taste of summer?

Steak & Portobello Mushrooms on the BBQ

It was the perfect Saturday night!  The weather was beautiful so I invited a good friend over for a bbq! Both of us being total carnivores, we decided on big fat rib-eye steaks along with roasted asparagus and my new fav recipe for marinated portobello mushrooms (recipe below).  With the night being so beautiful we decided to eat outside on the patio. In celebration of the occasion we brought out the good white linen tablecloth and linen napkins as well as a good bottle or red, which of course I proceeded to spill on the table cloth. Thank god for "WineAway"!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms;
6 - 8                 medium size portobello mushrooms
125ml (1/2cup) Balsamic vinegar
45 ml (3 tbsp)   chopped fresh coriander
15ml (1tbsp)     coarsely ground pepper
5ml (1tsp)         finely chopped garlic
5ml (1tsp)         salt
250 ml (1 cup)   Roasted Garlic-Flavored Olive Oil

For the oil; Roast 1 whole head of garlic drizzled in olive oil and wrapped in foil for approx. 30 minutes or until tender.  When done, squeeze garlic into 1 cup of olive oil and let sit for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.

Clean the mushrooms with a soft brush or damp cloth.  Remove the stems and set aside.

Prepare the marinade; Mix together vinegar, coriander, pepper, garlic and salt. Gradually whisk in the garlic flavored oil until mixture is thickened.

Brush Musrooms all over with the marinade and reserve the extra marinade to use as a basting sauce.  Arrange the mushrooms gill-side up in a shallow dish, cover loosely and let marinate in refrigerator for 4 -6 hours.

Place the mushrooms in a grill basket or directly on grill over medium-high heat and cook for 8 - 10 minutes per side or until tender, basting frequently with the reserved marinade. 

If you like you can slice the mushrooms and arrange on a larger platter or serve whole on individual plates.

A Comforting Breakfast!

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! 5 out of 7 days a week I like to have eggs but for some reason this past week I was not in the mood.  Until this morning that is!  My body had to have eggs so eggs it got!  One of fav things to do is scramble up some eggs with whatever goodies I  find in the fridge left over from last nights dinner. 

  Today it was red peppers & green onions. Add a little cilantro at the last minute and ..... heaven! 

 Add freshly ground & made coffee (did I mention Ms. Peasant is a coffee snob?) and the days horoscopes and it's as near a perfect start to a day as you can get!

What's your most comforting breakfast?

THE BEST COCOA BROWNIES EVER!

As if I needed encouragement to each more chocolate! Going through my recipe files yesterday I came across this fabulous recipe for the best cocoa brownies ever!  I don't often keep bar chocolate in the house (mainly because if it's here, I'll eat it) so when I came across this recipe all will power evaporated.  It's an easy, 1 bowl recipe that takes all of 20 min prep time & about 30- 40 min. in the oven to make the perfect brownie.  You know the one... the one with a soft, almost fudge like center and a chewy, candy like top "crust". There really is nothing that a good brownie and a nice cold glass of milk can't fix!

The Best Cocoa Brownies Ever
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (use natural or dutch-process and buy the best cocoa you can afford)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a large heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water.  It's important the that bowl actually sit in the water and not above like with most double boilers. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after testing it.  Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. At this point the sugar may not be completely melted and the mixture may still feel somewhat granular but will soften when the other ingredients are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon.  Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.  When the batter looks thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.  Stir in the nuts if using.  Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 30 - 40 min. Be sure not to overcook or you will loose the soft, fudge like center. Let cool completely on a rack. 

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board.  Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

 Enjoy and please let me know what you think of the recipe!

POLENTA

One of my favorite comfort foods of all time is polenta.  Especially on a cold winter day!  Last night I was feeling the need for some major comfort so I did some digging in my pantry.  Some people prefer to buy the fancy, more expensive packets at the grocery store labelled "Polenta" but really, all polenta is is cornmeal.  I prefer a medium ground cornmeal to the fine but you can use any cornmeal.  The key is to cook it long and slow.

I also like to use chicken broth instead of water and always, always add a little butter and some parmigiano reggiano (freshly grated please) at the end. How do you like to make your polenta?

As luck would have it I had some brasato left over from Wednesday nights dinner so polenta was the natural accompaniment!  Yum.  I will post my recipe for Brasato al Barolo on another day but for now please see the Polenta recipe below.  Enjoy!

 

POLENTA 

Bring 1/2 litre of water to a boil.  Slowly add 125 grams of cornmeal stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook until the polenta is thickened (approx. 20 min.). You will need to stir frequently to avoid the polenta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  When the polenta has thickened to the right consistency add 2 tablespoons of butter and 125 - 250grams of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. Enjoy immediately!