Momma Mia's March Pasta of the Month

There is a saying, "In like a lion, out like a lamb" which so aptly described this month of March.  While there is still a blanket of snow covering my rosebushes, I finally see signs of Spring.  I love Springtime at the base of the Sierra Nevada's.  Temperature wise we never know what to expect.  In the morning you'll use the heater and a few hours later you could be sunning yourself in 70 degree weather.

I also love the bounty that signifies Spring.  Fresh asparagus, artichokes from California, strawberries and a time to plant spinach, perhaps.

  The pasta of the month reminds me of early Spring because we usually make the trek to Southern California for Easter time.  Inevitably, my hubby's mom will make this simple dish.  It's perfect for a large hungry family because it doesn't cost much to make and it takes less than 20 minutes to put together.  It's not the exact replica of her "green pasta", as we call it, but I've adapted it and fine tuned it to our taste.

GREEN SPAGHETTI

2 T olive oil

3/4 - 1 cup thinly sliced onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 T panchetta, cooked ahead or microwaved and crumbled

1/2 lb. spaghetti

3 - 4 cups broccoli florets or pieces

1/4 cup pasta water

pinch of salt and pepper

In a large skillet saute onions in oil on medium heat.  Add garlic and remove the pan from heat.  Meanwhile, to a 5 qt pan, add 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Add the pinch of salt and pasta, stir, and reduce the heat to medium high (slower boil).  Cook for about 3 minutes, add broccoli, turn the heat down slightly, stir and cook for another 7 minutes until pasta is done. 

Pasta with broccoli boiling away

 Place the skillet back on the heat with onions and garlic and add the panchetta and pasta water. 

onions, garlic, panchetta and pasta water waiting for the broccoli and pasta

 Drain the pasta and add to the skillet, adding pepper to taste.  Pretty simple, but very good and good for you!  I like to add a little "kick" with red pepper flakes!  No need to wait for Spring, this recipe is great all year!

Chicken Pot Pie

When I think of chicken pot pie, two things come to mind.  The invention of the "frozen" chicken pot pie was introduced during my generation's childhood.  Some of you remember those little cardboard tasting pies with a smidgen of meat and a few morsels of carrots and peas.  Since then I may have tried another well known brand only to be turned off by the saltiness of it.  I guess they need to preserve it somehow!  A  chicken pot pie will never pass this way or my lips again, or so I thought.

The second memory  that comes to mind is from the TV sitcom "Just Shoot Me".  If you've seen this 90's show with David Spade (Dennis Finch) you'll know where I'm going with this...  Elliot, the photographer for the fictitious Blush magazine had a brother who was slow or retarded. (due to a fall from a tree during his childhood)  He actually wasn' t slow or retarded but he led everyone to believe this because life was easier for him this way.  Donnie, the brother, would arrive at the office occasionally with his caretaker brother, singing "Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot pie".   Quite the character.

 I've never tried my hand at chicken pot pie from scratch, mainly because of my first encounter.  But, I have several cooking "bucket list" items worthy of my attempts.  This was one of them.  I can safely say, I will make chicken pot pies again.  They were amazing!

Ingredients:

3 skinless thighs, cut into cubes

1 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1/4 inch pieces  (I don't like peas)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion or scallions

1/3 c flour

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp herbs de Provence

1/4 tsp garlic powder or fresh

1 1/2 c chicken broth

1/4 c milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts.  I recommend Trader Joe's brand, excellent!

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine chicken, carrots, beans in a saucepan.  Cover with water and boil for about 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside in a bowl.  In the same saucepan add butter and onions and cook until soft.  Stir in the flour and pepper to make a roux.  Add the chicken broth and milk and simmer on medium low as it becomes thicker.  Remove from heat and set aside while making the crust. 

I used 4 small individual serving tins. (1/2 crust each, bottom and top layer).  Arrange the bottom crust, fill each one with equal amount of chicken and vegetables.  Pour the thickened broth mixture over each to almost full.  Cover with a top crust and crimp edges.  (You may need to cut away the excess dough so it doesn't flop over the edge.)  Make slits in each pie to vent steam.  Bake in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 35 minutes until golden brown.  Cool slightly before serving.  Delicious!

Don't let all the steps deter you from making these.  It's much easier than it sounds and well worth the effort.  You could make these ahead and freeze them.  Then, finish baking  them another time.

Thick Umbrian Zuppa

You would think by now that I would be tired of soup, but as the coldness lingers into our Spring, zuppa warms my body and soul. 

On one of our journeys to Italy we skirted an area from Bologna to Assisi known as the Umbrian region. Although not Tuscany, this area is absolutely gorgeous with its green hills and landscape dotted with villas and castles.  We were fortunate to witness the fall colors cascading into the crevasses along the roadway and leading up to the distant Etruscan hill towns.  

The cuisine of Umbria is noted for its "peasant" type food, hearty, at best.  Ample dishes based on pork and lentils and laced with truffles, to me, is fit for a queen not a peasant!  I can almost envision St Francis "feasting" on this Umbrian inspired dish. 



St Francis  - Springtime in Sonoma

 Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 chicken thigh, cooked and cut up  (this can be omitted or substituted for panchetta)

1 c portabella mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 c lentils

32 oz chicken stock

1/2 c orzo

2-3 tomatoes from can or fresh, chopped

1 T fresh basil, chopped

1 handful chopped Italian parsley

Cook onions, carrot and garlic in oil until soft.  Add chicken, mushrooms, lentils and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and continue to cook for about 35 minutes.   Add tomatoes, basil, parsley and orzo and simmer for another 10 minutes or until orzo is tender.  Serve in bowls with a piece of toasted rustic bread on the bottom.  Spoon the soup over the top and garnish with cheese if you wish.  Delicious!  If you have any truffle oil in your pantry, drizzle that on top!  Yum!

Chipotle Black Bean Soup

Whenever I think of black bean soup I'm reminded of my son's comments in preschool.  Upon picking him up we'd ask him how his day went, etc. and ask him what he had for lunch.  It seemed like every day he'd tearfully say,  "I had black bean soup, again".  I'm sure that wasn't the case, but at least it wasn't something like pizza or fried chicken nuggets! 

Black beans are packed full of nutritional value delivering vitamin B, fiber, lower fat content, and protein.  However, I wouldn't suggest this soup for a 4 year old.  One of the ingredients is chipotle peppers which gives the soup a wonderful smokiness flavor to it, not to mention the heat it brings to the dish!   Where I live, we need some warmth after more and more snowy days.  My chipotle black bean soup really hits the spot!

Chipotle Black Bean Soup

2 T olive oil
1/2 c chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 chipotle pepper, minced  I used 2, I'm brave.  These you can get in a small can in the Mexican section of market.
1/2 tsp cumin
1 cup "pretreated" black beans
1/2 of ham bone
3 cups water
1 c chicken broth
cheese and cilantro for garnish

First rinse and sort the beans.  In a pot, add the beans and 3 cups water.  Bring to a boil for two minutes, remove from the heat and cover.  Let them sit for 1 hour, drain the water and rinse again.  Now they are "pretreated".

In a large pot, add the oil, onions, garlic, celery, cumin and chipotle.  Cook for 2 minutes, then add the ham bone and chicken broth.  Cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add the beans and another 3 cups (new) water.  Bring to a boil for 5 minutes while stirring, reduce the heat to simmer, cover for about 2 hours or until the beans are tender.  Remove the meat from the ham bone.  If you want a heartier soup delete the next step.

To finish off, take some of the beans and liquid (about a cup or so) and place in a blender.  Just pulse quickly to break down the bean but leave a little chunkiness.  Add back into the soup, stir and it's done.  Enjoy!  This soup is even better the next day as most soups are.

For a shortcut, you can use canned black bean, but rinse well.  The flavor won't be as intense but if you're in a hurry, it'll do.  For the "easy" version, please email me. 

For you vegetarians out there, use vegetable broth instead of chicken and try liquid smoke to flavor the beans instead of the ham bone. 

Best of Loreto Food (In my Opinion) - Part III

After much thought and the devouring of many entrees (someone had to do it), the winner goes to....There were no clear winners in the food category
 during our recent trip to Loreto so, in all fairness,  I developed a "best of" list. I had to keep reminding myself that we were not at a five star resort property or "in Kansas anymore".  Loreto is still, in my opinion, a quaint sleepy laid back fishing village with a disproportionate amount of eating establishments.  Lucky for us!

BEST BREAKFAST - Islas Loreto   We ate there several times.  It was close to our hotel.  We could slither out of bed and wander across the street for some great coffee and huevos rancheros or an avocado cheese omelet.  The service was good and the decor was bright, colorful and clean.

Avocado Cheese Omelet

BEST MARGARITA - El Bohemia   Tomas made the best and strongest margarita by far, or at least, compared to most of the other places we sampled. 

BEST ENTERTAINMENT -  This was at a restaurant called Mita Gourmet.  There was a young gentleman who could play his guitar as the patrons waited (and waited) for their meal.   The food (for us) was average and high priced...sorry guys!  The entertainment was superb!

BEST FOOD FOR THE $$$ WITH AMBIANCE -  El Papaguayo Cantando   Tomas recommended this place because his good friend, Juanito, was a waiter there.  He said Juanito would "take care" of us, and he did!   We wanted to try an assortment of flavors so we chose from their tapas menu.  He kept bringing us more and more food...very good food.  We started with a seafood tostada, a banana cheese relleno (interesting, I'll be trying this at home), a burrito, a spinach quesadilla  and finished with the chocolate clams!  We had to try those!!   Then  I attempted to sleep with all that in my belly!  Not a restful night, but I'm a glutton for punishment as we returned a few nights later.  I chose a small Italian roasted pepper and goat cheese pannini...Good choice, not as filling.  The decor was inviting,  and serene, especially at night .  The tables are arranged so that you're  in your own "garden room" colorfully lit and seemingly private.   Very nice.

Seafood Tostada

Cheesy Banana Relleno

Spinach Quesadillas

Burrito Tapas

BEST FOOD WITH A WATER  VIEW -  Mediterraneo   This restaurant is on the malecon (main street) right across from the Sea of Cortez which gave us a panoramic view.  Our waiter, Julio, was very attentive, friendly and quick.  I guess it helped that we were the only ones there.  I sure hope they can attract more restaurant goers.  They need to stay open.  The food was good, with an abundance of  seafood entrees.

Shrimp and scallop stuffed relleno

Of course, I still say our BEST DINING EXPERIENCE goes to the Tom and Sue's Tower Bistro!  The owners are friendly and the tortilla soup is the best in Loreto (and probably the surrounding areas)  Thanks again!