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Archive for the ‘Dinner’ Category

Brie and Arugula Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Dinner, tagged , , , , , on July 24, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Stuffed Mushrooms Title

Brie Stuffed Portobellos

I really can’t believe I have yet to incorporate brie into one of my recipes posted here. My deepest apologies. It is one of my all time favorites… not just in the cheese category… in every category. There are very adorable puppies in this world that I don’t like as much as I like this cheese. If this cheese shows up at a social event that I attend, it is safe to say that I am giving it more attention than any of the humans in the room. I could go on. But I won’t. Because I’d like to continue to be invited to said social events.

Anyway, I was looking for some sort of inspiration on Pinterest yesterday – when I do this, I know it will end in one of two ways: Jenna becoming inspired to run a marathon and give up carbs for life, or Jenna heading home and cooking/eating anything with massive amounts of  melted cheese on it. You can see where this is headed.

So here we are, Portobello mushroom caps “stuffed” with a very simple saute of arugula and walnuts, then topped off with a giant slab of brie cheese. It really doesn’t get much better.

Brie and Arugula Stuffed Portobellos

BRIE AND ARUGULA STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

3 Portobello mushroom caps

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups arugula

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 thick slices brie, room temperature

1 teaspoon lemon juice

lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wipe down mushroom caps with a damp towel.

3. Place them stem side down in a baking dish and bake for 8-10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

4. In a saute pan, cook the shallot and garlic in the olive oil over medium-low heat until they start to caramelize.

5. Add finely chopped walnuts, bread crumbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt/pepper cook for a few more minutes stirring frequently.

6. Place arugula in the pan on top of the walnut mixture and mix around until wilted and incorporated.

7. Flip Portobello caps so the stem side is up and pile some of the arugula mixture on each.

8. Bake in oven for another 8-10 minutes.

9. Remove from oven and top with THICK slice of brie.

10. Serve immediately!

Brie Stuffed Mushrooms

 

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Zucchini Ribbon Summer Salad

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Salad, tagged , , , , on June 25, 2012 | 1 Comment »

 

Zucchini Ribbon Summer Salad

I love using holidays like the 4th of July as an excuse to obsess over creating new recipes to bring to events (or to eat alone in your apartment while listening to the faint sound of fireworks in the distance). For anyone in search of a quick and easy salad to bring to that 4th of July cookout next week… Look no further my friends. This salad is fast, easy, delicious, and comes out so damn pretty! Make the dressing in a small container so you can dress it right before it’s served and I promise it will be a hit.

I’m sure this won’t be the last Independence Day recipe you see from me this year. I’ve been Googling things like “Patriotic foods” and “red, white, and blue things I can eat” for at least a week. Stay tuned!

Zucchini Ribbon Summer Salad 2

ZUCCHINI RIBBON SUMMER SALAD

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1 summer squash

1 zucchini

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cups arugula

1 1/2 cups of corn kernels

2-3 scallions, chopped

6-7 heaping tablespoons ricotta cheese

For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 small shallot, grated or finely minced

dried basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, sea salt, pepper to taste

Directions

1. With a vegetable peeler, peel long strips of the summer squash and zucchini into a large bowl.

2. Add the rest of the vegetables for the salad and toss.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing adjusting the seasonings as needed.

4. Keep refrigerated separately until ready to serve. When ready to serve, toss the dressing with the salad to evenly coat and transfer to serving dish and top with dollops of ricotta cheese as desired.

Zucchini Ribbon Summer Salad 1

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Parsnip and Leek Hash

Posted in Breakfast, Dinner, tagged , , , on June 6, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Parsnip and Leek Title

Parnsip and Leek Hash with Hard-Boiled Egg

This dish was definitely an experiment. I have been seeing parsnips everywhere lately and you know what? I wanted in. (This is a very good example of when I type something out and realize that I am not normal. Why can’t I want in on denim shirts or paddle boarding or something hip like that? No, I want in on the parsnip craze. ugggh.) Anyway, My first thought was that I wanted to do a parsnip puree, inspired by a recent meal I ate with my dad out on the Cape which was awesome… but then I got lazy, didn’t really want to do anything that involved a blender and turned it into an easy “hash” with hard-boiled eggs cooked right in it! It came out really well and this recipe makes a good bit of it. So come on everyone! Get in on the parsnip craze with this parsnip and leek hash. (Who have I become??)

Parsnip and Leek Hash

PARSNIP AND LEEK HASH

Ingredients

5-6 parsnips

1 large or 2 medium leeks

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

dash cinnamon

salt/pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the parsnips into strips down to the core of each.

2. Slice the leeks thin (cross-wise, to make rounds).

3. In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the vegetable oil together until everything is distributed evenly.

4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet heats up, add the vegetable oil.

5. Add the parsnip and leek mixture to the pan, stir and flip it until it is cooked through and browned.

I ate mine with some hard-boiled egg that was chilled. It was a great combo of warm and cool and the flavors were great!

Parsnip and Leek

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White Wine Cream Sauce with Red Rubin Basil

Posted in Dinner, Pasta, Sauces, tagged , , , on May 22, 2012 | 2 Comments »

White Wine Cream Sauce Title

White Wine Cream Sauce

You know those days when it’s really nice out but all you want to do is just sit inside and do nothing and you feel guilty all day long because you really shouldn’t be “wasting” such a beautiful day? Well Sunday was NOT one of those days for me. It was the exact opposite actually. Here in Boston, it was just PERFECT weather and you know what I did? I went ahead and made the best of it.

A brief synopsis of my day yesterday would include things like going to see the seals outside of the Boston Aquarium, a bike ride through the city, a lobster quesadilla from Lobsta Love food truck, a vintage mall, and last but certainly not least… SoWa Open Market. This market in the South End of Boston is just awesome. Tent after tent filled with local jewelry, art, baked goods, produce… you name it. One of the tents there had a ton of fresh herbs for sale and I came across this vibrant purple basil called Red Rubin Basil, which I had never heard of. Most people go to markets like this and buy a necklace, or a piece of art, or a lemonade or something. I go and I buy an oddly colored basil plant. To each his own I guess.

On my walk home while awkwardly carrying my new herb plant, I started conjuring up ways to use it. The following recipe is what I came up with. Heavy cream, butter, wine, cheese… I really couldn’t have messed this up if I tried. My new basil was a perfect complement. I chose to add shrimp to it and serve it over pasta but you could really do anything with this sauce. I bet it would be amazing with sausage instead of shrimp or with mushrooms over chicken. Let me know if you give another variation a try!

White Wine Cream Sauce with Red Rubin Basil

 

WHITE WINE CREAM SAUCE WITH RED RUBIN BASIL

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 tablespoons water or cooking liquid from pasta

1 clove garlic paste (Click here to see how to make garlic paste on your cutting board!)

handful of red rubin basil leaves, lightly chopped

salt/pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add oil and garlic.

2. Once garlic is softened and fragrant add wine and 1 tablespoon of butter and begin to whisk and reduce. Season with salt and pepper.

3. After about 5 minutes, reduce heat to medium and add cream and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to simmer and continue to whisk for about 10 minutes until sauce thickens. If sauce becomes too thick, add some cooking liquid or water at this stage. (This is also the point where I added the shrimp because the cook so quickly).

4. Stir in grated parmesan and chopped basil. Re-season if necessary.

5. Enjoy warm over pasta or with seafood, chicken, sausage, etc.

White Wine Cream Sauce Red Rubin Basil

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Lemony Tarragon “Stir Fry”

Posted in Dinner, tagged , , , on May 17, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Lemony Tarragon Stir Fry Title

 

Stir Fry 

I have “stir-fry” in quotations because this isn’t really your conventional stir-fry… When I think of a stir-fry, I think of a wok-cooked mix of vegetables, meat, and rice or noodles. THIS, is not that. This is more like an attempt at a healthy meal cooked in a saute pan, that you could hire a monkey to cook for you in under 20 minutes. – Eat your heart out Rachael Ray… You think 30 minute meals are amazing? How about you feast your eyes on this 20 MINUTE MEAL? – Damnit I’m good. I should get in touch with The Food Network and pitch them an idea for a show called “20 Minute Meal/5 Minute Feast/5 Minute Nap” … I think they’d go for it.

You can use any veggies you want for this recipe but I went with some red, yellow, and green peppers, corn, shredded carrots, and cherry tomatoes and it came out great.

 Vegetable Stir Fry

 

LEMONY TARRAGON “STIR-FRY”

Ingredients

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup yellow corn

1/2 cup shredded carrots

handful cherry tomatoes

2 breasts of chicken, cubed

4-5 sprigs fresh tarragon

1 lemon

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

salt/pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides

2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan

3. Add chicken, garlic, tarragon and juice from half of the lemon. Cook for about 4-5 (move the cubes of chicken around as little as possible in the initial stage of cooking)

4. Add veggies and the juice from the other half of the lemon and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes

5. Remove from heat and incorporate cream cheese

6. Serve warm!

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Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Posted in Dinner, Pasta, tagged , , , on May 2, 2012 | 6 Comments »

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti Title

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

What is it about a grey sky and encroaching bathing suit season that makes me crave carbs? Boston isn’t exactly the warmest and sunniest place on earth but I must say we have been pretty lucky this past year as far as weather is concerned – that is, if you consider Marathon Monday reaching nearly 90 degrees ‘lucky’… which I do, because I didn’t run it. Anyway, I haven’t had a ton of chances to use the weather as an excuse to consume massive amounts of comfort foods so here we go! I even provided an ‘artistic’ photo with the grey sky in the background. PROOF.

Boston Grey Sky

Once I got it in my head that I wanted some kind of creamy, cheesy, pasta dish, it wasnt long until this little number was born. It was one of those meals that I threw together from things in my fridge (out of laziness) that turned out surprisingly satisfying. I had leftover spaghetti squash (how to cook spaghetti squash) made earlier in the week, and the other ingredients are pretty much always present in my home (ah-hem…pasta and dairy). This dish has the sweetness of the squash, the saltiness of the parmesan, and a smoky background note from the cumin which made it an interesting alternative to your average cream sauce. Plus it’s just an adorable play on words isn’t it? Spaghetti squash with spaghetti? Who would have thought!

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti 1

SPAGHETTI SQUASH SPAGHETTI

Ingredients

1 teaspoon minced shallot (I used about 1/4 of a shallot)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 chopped scallion

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup milk

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup parmesean

pinch of cumin

salt/pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (how to cook spaghetti squash)

3 cups cooks spaghetti (or angel hair)

Directions

1. Melt butter with oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.

2. Add shallots and garlic and stir for a minute or two before adding in the scallions.

3. After another minute add the milk and stir to incorporate the butter and oil.

4. Simmer milk for about two minutes, stirring occasionally, then mix in the mozzarella and parmesean cheese and your seasonings.

5. Stir until the sauce thickens a bit, add more parmesean if needed here to thicken more.

6. Incorporate spaghetti squash and let cook for another minute, then add pasta.

7. Mix until pasta and squash are fully coated and serve with more parm!

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti 2

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Pizza Dough

Posted in Breads, Dinner, Lunch, tagged , , , on April 25, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Pizza Dough Title

 Pizza with Sammy

Before I get into  my recent pizza dough making experience, I would first like to announce some very exciting news… according to my WordPress Statistics for this blog, www.pieceofcakeblogger.com has recently shown up in a Google Images search! But wait folks… That is not even the exciting part! The exciting part is what was searched for. Now, some of my initial predictions about what someone might have searched in order for my blog to appear in search results included: “How much weight will I gain from making homemade butter?” … “fleur di lis” …. “will making english muffins make me popular?” … but no, my friends. None of these were even close. None of these even compare to the real answer. The search that Piece of Cake came up in on this fateful day… was the following: “FUPA on a skinny person.” That’s right. Some (amazing) human out there Google Image searched “FUPA on a skinny person” and MY BLOG came up! Honestly, I don’t think I would be more excited right now if the search I came up in was “Best blog on planet earth.” Piece of Cake has arrived.

Ok, moving on. Pizza dough.

This past weekend I made homemade pizzas with my little brother. Sam is pretty much the most amazing human I know (in fact, it was probably him searching “FUPA on a skinny person” – I wouldn’t put it past him. That’s how awesome he is). He loves sports, girls, carbohydrates, and WWE and he is basically my hero. Sam also eats pizza for just around 90% of his meals so I trust his judgement on the matter.

This dough is quick to make (rises in about an hour), easy to work with, comes out soft and slightly chewy, and tastes great! Sammy approved, and he’s a tough crowd.

Pizza Pepperoni

HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 packet yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups warm water

Directions

1.In a medium bowl mix the flours, sugar, yeast and salt together (you can use a stand mixer but we used our hands).

2. Drizzle in the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and mix until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour.

3. Knead for a few minutes into a smooth, firm ball.

4. Rub olive oil all over the dough ball, place back into cleaned bowl and cover with a warm, damp cloth. Let rise for about an hour or until the ball doubles in size.

5. Once the dough has risen,  place on a lightly floured surface and divide it into equal pieces.

6. Roll out each piece into your desire shape for pizzas, leaving them about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick and let rest for a few minutes.

7. Top with your favorite pizza ingredients and bake in a 450 degree oven on a baking sheet or pizza stone for 20 minutes or so until the crust of the dough is hard to the touch. (You might need to roll out and top the dough on a piece of tin foil for easy transfer into the oven if you don’t have a pizza paddle).

8. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

Sam kept it simple with straight-up pepperoni but we made another version with ricotta, asparagus, shrimp, red pepper flakes, and mozzarella which was amazing. Enjoy!

Pizza with Sam

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Avocado Egg Salad

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Salad, tagged , , , on April 11, 2012 | 1 Comment »

I always hear people complain about how difficult it is to cook for one. I’m sorry but have you folks ever heard of something called leftovers? Or second dinner? Come on now. Needless to say, even when dining alone, I rarely cook in single portions. But alas, Avocado Egg Salad comes into the picture and a glorious single serving meal that takes all of 10 minutes to whip up is born. To me, avocados are amazing little green miracles. I wish it was ok to eat them like you would an apple but these things are pretty fattening… Did that stop me from combining them with eggs, mayo, and cheese? No. But still.

Avocado Egg Salad

AVOCADO EGG SALAD

Ingredients

1/4 large ripe avocado

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon whole milk (or 1 tablespoon mayo)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 pepperoncini pepper, diced

2 tablespoons crumbled feta

1/8 cup chopped celery

3-4 dashes hot sauce (one of those things I buy in bulk because I love it so much)

garlic powder/salt/pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

2. Eat it! I put it in a wheat wrap with some salad mix (spinach, radicchio, and arugula) and cherry tomatoes but it would be awesome as a dip with tortilla or pita chips, on a salad… the possibilities are endless!

Avocado Egg Salad Wrap

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Cauli-Cakes

Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, tagged , , , , on April 3, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Cauli Cakes Title

Cauliflower Cakes

People who are close to me know that I tend to take credit for the existence of things or ideas that I might not necessarily have the right to. For instance, I have found myself defending tall claims such as my involvement in the widespread use of the straw, or my invention of the term “FUPA.” If I hear of a band before you, or wear bright blue skinny jeans a season ahead of you, I discovered them and their popularity amongst the general public is a direct result of me. (I am sometimes a real TREAT to be around if you haven’t already figured this out). I get that maybe some of this stuff is a bit extreme… but I’m telling you right now, I INVENTED today’s recipe. “Silly Jenna… everyone who creates a recipe on their own could claim that they ‘invented’ that recipe. You are insane and no you were not the first person to wear jean shorts.” Say what you will.  This one is mine. I have seen recipes for cauliflower cakes, fritters, pancakes, etc. but none like this. Therefore, it will go down in history as my invention.  You’re welcome.

Cauli Cakes

CAULIFLOWER CAKES

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 cups walnuts

1 cup crumbled feta

3 tablespoons grated Romano

1/8 cup freshly chopped dill

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 egg

Salt/pepper

Directions

1. Roughly chop up or break apart the cauliflower, toss with garlic and olive oil in a baking dish and roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, pulse the walnuts in a food processor until crumbled, remove and set aside.

3. Toss the crumbled feta with the dill, romano, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

4. Pulse roasted cauliflower/garlic in a food processor until chunky. Add to feta mixture and thoroughly combined.

5. Mix in egg and walnut crumbs until the mixture is thick enough to form into patties.  (I found that these come out a lot better when made into mini patties but you can certainly make bigger ones as well!)

6. Heat cooking spray in skillet over medium heat and add patties a few at a time. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until browned and heated through. Serve warm and enjoy!

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Macaroni and Cheese

Posted in Dinner, Pasta, tagged , , , on March 26, 2012 | 4 Comments »

Macaroni and Cheese

I don’t trust a person who doesn’t like macaroni and cheese. Sorry, but I’m not sorry. That is just downright weird. You don’t have to like it as much as I do… because  as creepy as someone has to be to dislike mac and cheese, I definitely am close to topping that creepiness with the amount that I like macaroni and cheese. Both are equally abnormal.

I have been doing homemade mac and cheese experimenting for quite some time now – drunken late-night feasts this past weekend in college that involved using Ramen noodles as the ’mac’ and american cheese slices as the ‘cheese.’ Versions that include no meat, gluten, or dairy. Velveeta-esque versions. Annie’s Shells and White Cheddar-ish versions. Gourmet versions. You name it. But for my first mac and cheese post (oh there will be more my friend, there will be more), I thought the most appropriate thing to do would be to showcase a straight-up, unadulterated rendition of the classic Macaroni and Cheese.

Now I’m gonna shoot ya straight here… this recipe is so unhealthy it’s almost comical. It is one of those dishes that you would rather someone else make because then you don’t have to really know what exactly goes into it. You just eat and quietly tell yourself it’s not that bad. When it comes down to it, it’s just about as American as you can get when it comes to mac and cheese in that it is over the top, parts of it are kind of trashy, there is added sugar, and it is freaking awesome… but seriously, if you are going to do it, do it right. I’m telling you, this stuff is amazing.

Piece of Cake - Mac and Cheese

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Ingredients

1lb of pasta (I used Cavatappi here)

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk (I use skim because CLEARLY I’m watching my weight)

1 egg

1 tablespoon honey (that’s right, honey –  trust me on this one)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

12 oz  cheddar cheese, freshly grated

6 0z white american cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the pasta to just under your liking and set aside

2. Melt the butter in a  saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk in the flour, continue whisking for 5 or so minutes and make sure it is smooth.

3. Whisk  in the milk, honey, and garlic powder and allow to simmer for 8 minutes.

4. Temper in the egg and add the cheeses, stirring continuously until smooth.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Incorporate the cooked pasta.

This can be eaten as is OR you can:

7. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until bubbling.

8. TREAT YO’ SELF.

Piece of Cake - Macaroni and Cheese

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