Only here for the food: Asian Inspired Super Bowl Menu

I am not so much an NFL fan--in fact, I did not even know which teams were in the Super Bowl until church this morning and Reverend Bill's children's message.

However, I love mini food--appetizers, sliders, small bites of this and that--it is all novel and absolutely delicious. And I love any opportunity to cook and eat mini bites.

Lily helped me with this last minute Super Bowl Sunday menu. We don't have big plans; just the four of us hanging out. I expect oodles of leftovers--perfect for mid week snacking and delicious left overs. The Asian inspiration just sort of happened and I love the idea of having a theme--Lily says it makes it fancy!

Click on the links for the recipes!

Our Menu

Honey Mustard Chicken Wings and Drumsticks
I love Rachael Ray's recipe--it is slightly sweet and slightly spicy. Plus it way healthier than the traditional hot wings. Instead of serving with celery and carrot sticks, slice up some cucumber. The recipe is here.

Lily's Mango Salsa
Lily and I learned this easy and kid friendly version of mango salsa at a Wegman's cooking class. It is so simple, chop the following: 1 mango, 1/2 red pepper, 1 shallot and a couple leaves of fresh mint. Mix together with 2 tablespoons of apricot jam and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar. Serve with multigrain chips.

Mini Salmon Burgers
I adore a good burger. Try this recipe for soy glazed salmon burgers and make the patties mini. Serve on buns or go naked (I vote go naked leaves more room for other stuff.)

Black Bean Wontons with Green Salsa
Black Bean Wontons rock and they freeze great! Snag a pack of wonton wrappers, 1 cup of prepared black beans (homemade or from a can), and some feta. Mash up the beans. Then, put 1 teaspoon of black beans and a sprinkle of feta in the middle of each wonton wrapper. Follow the directions on the wonton package to fold. Then fry or bake until golden. Serve with either jarred green salsa or my favorite Green Salsa from the fabulous Beekman Boys .



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My Nana was not Italian Wedding Soup

My Nana was Danish. And despite living in South Jersey for at least 40 years, did not really cook Italian. I honestly cannot remember one lasagna or one spaghetti and meatball meal at her table. And her recipe boxes, while filled with food from around the world, make no mention of anything remotely close to marinara.

However, I grew up completely fascinated by all things Italian. My father would share stories of his travels to Venice and Sicily during World War II. I would gaze endlessly at photos of Roman architecture, planning someday to write or build or create something Roman. Once a week we had spaghetti and meatballs--homemade slow cooked red sauce with homemade meatballs. And Mike and I honeymooned in Rome, savoring the food, the wine, the architecture, the churches and the leather. I love Italian!

Italian Wedding Soup is a classic and so many of my friends, whose Nana's were actually Italian, shared their tips and tricks for this recipe. My recipe is like a wedding of all that heritage and knowledge and culinary genius.

Some notes: I had a big bag of baby spinach, so I used it in place of escarole. I also used orzo, but as Mike's Aunt Lydia suggested, those tiny little ball pastas, Acici de Pepe, would be excellent in place of the orzo. One old school addition is to drop a couple eggs beaten with Parmesan cheese into the hot soup and stir with a spoon until thin strands appear. I did not do this for my recipe, but think I will try the next go around.

The stuff:
Olive oil
3 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups orzo, cooked as per package
4 cups baby spinach

For the meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 clove of garlic, grated
1/2 Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 grated locatelli or parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
2 T. Olive oil

Grated locatelli or Parmesan cheese for serving

1. In a large soup pot, heat about 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, garlic and onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is softened and garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make meatballs. Combine beef, eggs, garlic, breadcrumbs and cheese in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Form mixture into small meatballs (1/4 - 1/2 inch in diameter).

4. In a large frying pan, over medium heat, warm 2 T. of olive oil. Gently add meatballs to frying pan and brown on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove meatballs from frying pan to simmering broth.

5. Heat meatballs in broth until cooked through about 10-15 minutes.

6. Stir in orzo and baby spinach. Stirring to wilt spinach. Top with a sprinkle of locatelli cheese.





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Sunday Dinner: Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

The first time I made a whole roast chicken, it was a massive disaster. First, I think my chicken may have been partially frozen. Second, I was following some complicated French recipe that appeared to be written in Franglais--a hybrid of French and English that was impossible to decipher. And finally, I was in a rush and charred the outside beyond recognition. The result: a charred, raw, inedible bird. I still feel bad for the chicken gave who gave his life for that complete catastrophe.

However, the kitchen is a forgiving place and luckily, my oven easily forgets. After much obsessing and planning, I finally made this juicy, savory, lemony roast chicken which may be worthy of place on a French country table. The recipe is simple, but does have oodles of steps--which is why this is a meal ideally prepared on a Sunday.

On the side roasted potatoes infused with lemon and carrots, plus a yummy green salad with pan fried croutons and dijon vinaigrette. Grab a bottle of French wine and you will send all you will send all your dinner guests swooning.

Dedicate some time to this recipe and savor a nice, slow meal with all your favorite people next Sunday!

The Stuff
One 4-4 1/2 lb chicken, giblets removed
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 whole lemon
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Zest of one lemon
2 T. Unsalted butter, softened
1 T. dried Rosemary; plus 1 T.
1 T. Honey; plus 2 T.
Salt/pepper
1 t. dried thyme
1 cup baby carrots

The Work
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Salt and pepper inside and outside of chicken. Let rest at room temperature.
3. Boil 8 cups of water in a large pot. Add potatoes, whole lemon and whole garlic cloves. Boil for ten minutes.
4. While potatoes are cooking, prepare an herb butter. Mix butter, lemon zest, 1 T. Rosemary and 1 t. Honey.
5. Rub herb butter underneath chicken skin, loosening as you go.
6. Drain potatoes. Remove lemon and garlic. (set potatoes aside) Poke holes in lemon with a fork and stuff inside chicken cavity, along with garlic, 1 T. Rosemary and 1 t. thyme.
7. Cover outside of chicken with remaining 2 T. of honey.
8. Place chicken and 1 cup baby carrots in a roasting pan. Cook 45 minutes.
9. After 45 minutes, add potatoes to the roasting pan and spoon juices over top. Roast an additional 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden and chicken is cooked through.
10. Let stand 10 minutes before carving.

Serve with a simple greens salad and pan fried croutons. (recipe coming soon!)
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Grocery Store Tourism: Houston

While to some, grocery shopping while on vacation may seem completely contradictory to the very concept of vacation, for me it a much anticipated piece of my itinerary. I've brought pasta from Italy, spices from Greece, deli meat from New York, deep dish pizza from Chicago and tortillas from Texas. I love foraging the spice aisles for items I've never seen and perusing the bakery to see what fresh breads I can grab.

There is no better way to get to know the locals than to check out what they eat at home. From local wines to fresh bread, prepared specialities and local, super fresh produce, the local grocery store and farmers market are both prime tourist spots for the aspiring ecotourism interested in getting to know everything through the eyes of those who live there.

One of my favorite grocery destinations is Houston. We lived there for a summer when Lily was a proton radiation patient at MD Anderson. My mother in law, Olga, was the perfect tour guide, introducing me to all the many amazing Tex- Mex delights. There are barbecue sauces and rubs, a plethora of hot sauces, a multitude of Mexican seasonings and my favorite: fresh made HEB tortillas.

HEB, which stands for "Here Everthing's Better," is a stellar combination of Whole Foods and for those of you blessed to be in the north east, Wegmans. There are amazing prepared foods, beautiful, local produce, great meal ideas and of course, my beloved Tortillas. For a little over $3, you can snag a 20- pack of warm, tender, flakily melt in your mouth tortillas. Olga also have a stack waiting for me-- and I can eat these beauties straight out of the bag. And I always bring back a supply, to keep me remembering all that delicious Texas food.

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Snowed-in: Macaroni and Cheese

I absolutely adore a good snowstorm. Snowstorms are the perfect opportunity to pause and be home.
Unfortunately, the latest snowstorm hit as we were about to depart for a week in Texas; stranding us at home with relatively empty cupboards.
Okay, so there is always something to toss together or grab from the freezer in my house--but, another fab thing about snowstorms is the opportunity to cook something comforting and hearty.

I gathered the ingredients for this creamy, italian-esque macaroni and cheese from my pantry and some odds and ends in the refrigerator. Perfect for a snowy day or any day when you want to pretend to be snowed in and hide out at home.

The Goods

1 lb of penne (or whatever pasta shape you've got)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 canfuls of water
2 cups mozzarella cheese shreds
1 cup cheddar cheese shreds
1 tablespoon dried garlic seasoning (I used Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic)
Non-stick cooking spray
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

For the topping:
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes OR small can of chopped tomatoes, drained
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (I always have a basil plant on my kitchen windowsill--it is a life saver!)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt/pepper

Grated locatelli or parmesan cheese

The Work

Preheat oven to 350F

Boil water and prepare pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking make cheese sauce by mixing mushroom soup, water (use the can to measure water), cheese and garlic in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until cheese melts.

Spray a 9x12 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Drain and add cooked pasta. Pour in cheese sauce and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a thin dusting of breadcrumbs. Then, spray the top with cooking spray.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

While it is baking, prepare the topping. Mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Top finished macaroni and cheese with tomato mixture and a heaping spoonful of locatelli cheese.

Nana's Back!

Nana is back after a holiday hiatus! Stay tuned for a fab 2011--big things are planned including new guest bloggers, vegetable garden planning, amazing recipes, the return of quiche-tactic Monday and much, much more.

Wishing you all a fabulous 2011!

Uncle Allan and Aunt Ginny's Mushroom Pie

Aunt Ginny, Uncle Alan, Nana and Granddad

I love mushrooms and often, I wonder if this love is somehow genetic, as most of my family shares my love affair. In the Fall, I find mushrooms to be so seasonal--the rustic, forest-y flavors are a perfect compliment to hearty dishes like stews and roasts.

My Uncle Allan and Aunt Ginny make this mushroom pie every Thanksgiving and apparently, my Nana (mother to Uncle Allan) loved it and had seconds! I will be bringing this to the Thanksgiving feast at my Mom's house this year.

Uncle Allan says he typically makes it the day before and then warms it up after the Turkey is finished and resting. It is a great dish to make for your own feast or to bring along to a potluck.

Mushroom Pie

Makes eight servings

Filling:

8 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms

2 cups chopped onions

1 t. dried thyme leaves

1/4 t. salt

1/4 cup light cream cheese

Crust:

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour (reserve 1 tablespoon to roll crust

1/4 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup nonfat sour cream

1 T. low fat milk

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  

To prepare filling: Spray large non stick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat.  Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, 4-5 min^s until tender.  Stir in mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, 2 min^s. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with thyme and salt, cook, stirring frequently, 4-5 min^s until mixture is tender.  Add cream cheese; stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

To prepare crust: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; blend. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add sour cream, stir until mixture forms a soft dough.

Sprinkle clean work surface with reserved 1T of flour; roll 2/3 of dough into a 12” circle.  Fit dough into a 9” pie plate.  Transfer filling to crust-lined pie plate.

Roll remaining dough into a 10”x7” rectangle about ¼” thick.  Cut into 10”x1” strips.  Weave into lattice over filling; pinch edges of crust and lattice together; flute rim.  Brush lattice topping and crust rim evenly with milk; bake 30-40 min^s until crust is golden brown.  

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.