Re-creating the Pizzas at Co. Part 1 – The Popeye Pita Pizza April 9, 2009

Recently, my friend AnnieMariel and I were bored and took a plane to spend a weekend in NYC…  during this visit we had lunch at Co., a new pizza restaurant in Chelsea. 

When we were talking about our travels and dining experiences to our French class friends, they asked us to please recreate for them the pizzas we had at Co.  They just though they sounded as delicious as we thought they tasted.  We described them in such detail they just could not be left out in the dark.

We gathered at the house of another friend, which meant I had to transport everything to her house to make the pizzas.  And since I am not dexterous in the bread-making department as you already know… I decided to make these pizzas on Pita bread.  Pita bread is perfect and super reliable t make quick pizzas at home and are in the round shape people expect.  You already saw the version I did for my “nieces” when we were traveling in Vermont.

Here is what you will need to make this spinach-lover pizza…

 

POPEYE PITA PIZZA

Makes 1 personal pizza

 1 whole-wheat pita bread, the larger the better

About 1 tsp olive oil

About 1 tbs gruyere cheese, grated

About 1 tbs pecorino romano cheese, grated

 3 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese – make sure it’s the fresh kind, not the part-skim processed kind

About 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, washed and dried in a salad spinner

Garlic salt and freshly cracked black pepper

 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450 F.
2. Place pita bread in a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle a bit of the olive oil and spread it all over the bread.  Grate the gruyere and the pecorino cheeses on top of the pita bread.  Place the slices of mozzarella on top.  Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper.
3. Now place as much spinach as you can on top of the pizza.  Try to accommodate as much of those 2 handfuls of spinach as possible, because it will cook down a lot.  Drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with additional salt and fresh pepper.
4. Place in the oven and bake until the edges of the pita bread start to toast.
5. Take out of the oven and let it cool off a bit.  After about 3 minutes, cut into 4 slices using a pizza wheel slicer.

 

The girls could not believe how good this pizza was… they were raving all about it for days.  My mom had a chance to try it too the next day.  She was also impressed at the flavors and the look.

Fresh Baby Spinach Pasta February 4, 2009

I’ve had this recipe in my Food Network Recipe box for the longest time…  Penne with Spinach Sauce  is a recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis that I have found fascinating since I first saw it on TV.

I did this recipe off the top of my head for my French conversation class group, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I actually made it almost the same as the original.  Two of my friends asked me for dish using spinach… so I knew they would enjoy it.  But Katherine is not a spinach fan, and she loved this dish.  She said the goat cheese in the sauce made it for her.  So this can be something to try on your little ones…  Call it Shrek’s pasta.

I used local fresh spinach, with a somewhat larger leaf than the one you get at the supermarket.  Remember to wash your spinach well before using it in this recipe…

 

 

FRESH BABY SPINACH PASTA

¾ pound of whole-wheat pasta – I used penne, but any tubular pasta would do

2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves, loosely packed, divided

3 ounces of goat cheese

3 ounces of cream cheese

1 small garlic clove, cut in small pieces

2 turns of the food processor of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top to taste

 

1. Boil the pasta in salted boiling water according to packaging directions.
2. Wash and dry well the spinach leaves.  Set aside a small bunch aside and chop.
3. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, add most of the spinach leaves you have not chopped, goat cheese, cream cheese, garlic clove, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Pulse a few times until the mixture becomes a light green paste.
4. When pasta is done, drain well while reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
5. Return the pasta to the pot and add the spinach mixture.  Mix well so the sauce loosens with the heat of the pasta and pot.  Add pasta water little by little to loosen the sauce to a creamy consistency.  Add the chopped spinach leaves and the Parmesan cheese and mix well.
6. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top.

 

To reheat this pasta, I added a small amount of milk to a small pot together with the left-over pasta.  I also added a bit of cream cheese and more Parmesan cheese.  The sauce was creamy and delicious again as it was when done originally.

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta November 20, 2008

When November comes around, it’s birthday time!!!!  My aunt’s, my dad’s and mine… so I decided to host a lunch to celebrate all our birthdays.  And to top it all, my sister came in from Miami to visit too, so the family was complete.

Everyone invited was not vegetarian, but because the lunch was hosted at my house, vegetarian fare was a MUST.  I had planned to make pasta – it’s the safe and easy choice; Non-threatening to the skeptical.  I was originally planning on making a pasta with gorgonzola – a dish inspired by a dinner I had in Old San Juan a couple of weeks ago.  Then, I saw 30-Minute Meals and was totally inspired by a dish Rachael Ray made…   I do not recall how she called it, but my version is called Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta…

 

ROASTED GARLIC AND TOMATO PASTA

1 pound of short whole-wheat tubular pasta, penne rigate or rigatoni works well

3 handfuls of grape tomatoes, about 2 pints

1 whole head of garlic, roasted

2 handfuls of a shredded 4 cheese blend – Fontina, Parmesan, Asiago and Pecorino

1/2 cup basil leaves

3 generous handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves

¼ cup of grated Pecorino Romano

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. I roasted the head of garlic the night before…  Just take the head of garlic, cut the top off and place inside a sheet of aluminum foil.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit of water.  Close the aluminum foil to form a packet and roast in a toaster oven at 350F for 30-40 minutes.
2. If you do not have time or just did not plan ahead… just open up the head of garlic into cloves, smash them all individually with the side of a knife.  Place them together with the grape tomatoes on a baking sheet to roast side-by-side.  Drizzle the tomatoes and smashed garlic cloves with olive oil, salt and pepper liberally.  Roast in a 350F oven for about 20-25 minutes.  The garlic smell will tell you when it’s done.
3. When the tomatoes/garlic are about to be done, set a large pot filled with water to boil.  Salt the water as soon as it comes to a boil and drop the pasta.  Stir well to avoid the pasta sticks.  Because we’re using whole-wheat pasta, it’ll take a little longer to cook… about 12-15 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, place all the roasted garlic cloves with the skins removed.  Smash them into a paste with a large fork. 
5. As soon as pasta is about to be done, turn the stove off.  Take about 1 ½ cups of water and pour on top of the roasted garlic.  Mix the garlic and water and create like a “tea” of roasted garlic.  Add the roasted tomatoes and smash them together with the garlic tea. 
6. Drain the pasta.  I always drain the pasta over a Pyrex glass bowl to reserve some of the pasta water, just in case I need some more.  Return the pasta to the pot and pour the tomato/garlic tea over it.  Mix together well so the pasta absorbs the roasted garlic liquid.  While the pot is still hot/warm, add the basil leaves and baby spinach leaves.  Mix together well so the heat of the pasta will wilt them nicely.  Add the shredded 4 cheese blend and mix well.  Cover pot for about 5 minutes to help the spinach wilt.
7. After the 5 minutes have elapsed, serve in a beautiful pasta bowl and sprinkle with the grated Pecorino Romano.

We had a great time… everyone loved the food, specially my dad, who served himself 3 helpings.  And he’s one of the biggest skeptics of vegetarian food.  Hope you like it too… This is a very easy and delicious pasta that will feed a crowd.  It took almost no-time to make – Very care-free and perfect for entertaining.

Hope you try it and like it too…

SS Smoothie July 10, 2008

As you may have noticed, I’ve been making myself a lot of fruit shakes and smoothies lately, especially during the preparations for my yoga retreats.  I need to go thru days of preparations where I eat only salads, fruits and juices.  So when we have to prepare, fruit shakes are a great way to go.  Plus, it’s more appealing to me than eating one fruit at a time.

So the BB Shake does not feel too lonely with the quirky name… here comes the SS Smoothie.  This one has strawberries and spinach.  And again, the fruit flavors are sooooo awesome; you can’t taste nor see the spinach in the final product.   This shake is also very good friends of the Stealth Shake.  As you can see, after two attempts of incorporating spinach into my shakes, none of them have turned out green yet.  

 

 

THE SS SMOOTHIE

3 strawberries, quartered

A handful of fresh baby spinach

1 cup of pomegranate juice

A big squirt of agave nectar

3 cubes of ice

A bit of water , if the smoothie is too thick

 

1. Mix everything in your blender…  and enjoy.

Here’s a picture of the spinach and strawberries before blending – trying to give you proof that indeed there’s spinach in the mix and that I did not make it up.  Another lesson… Madelyn, needs to get a glass jar for the blender so the blog pictures can look better.  Same goes for the plastic cup I used to drink it.

Florentine Mac & Cheese June 16, 2008

I’ve already shared with you my passion for Mac & Cheese.  It’s a paradox… because when someone is feeling down and out, people usually seek their comfort foods to make themselves feel better.  But here’s the thing… when I am feeling “under the weather” I crave cheese like there’s no tomorrow, but cheese and wheat products are the least I should have during that time…

So lately I have been trying my best to stay away from cheeses – trying to make other types of food…  rices, stews, etc.  But I could not hold-off any longer.  That tub of ricotta cheese was calling me every time I opened up the fridge…  so without further ado, here’s my version of a quick stove-top white mac and chesse with fresh baby spinach…

 

 

FLORENTINE MAC & CHEESE

¼ pack of whole-wheat macaroni pasta – although any short tubular pasta will do

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbs sofrito

1 cup half-and-half

½ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup Parmesan

2 oz cream cheese

¼ cup vegetable stock

1 tbs cornstarch

Kosher Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

3 – 4 handfuls of fresh baby spinach – this would also work with about 1 cup of thawed and squeezed-dry frozen spinach

1. Bring to a boil a large pot of water, season liberally with salt.  Add macaroni and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, we make the sauce…   In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil and sofrito and sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the half and half and heat for a few minutes.   Add the ricotta, cream cheese and Parmesan.  Let the cheeses melt into the sauce.
4. Add the fresh spinach.  Stir every so often to wilt the spinach into the cheese mixture.  Cover for a few minutes so the steam helps in the wilting process.
5. In a small dish, mix together the vegetable stock and cornstarch to make a slurry.  Add to the cheese mixture to thicken.  Stir a few times to ensure everything is well incorporated.  The sauce will start to thicken as it comes to a soft boil.
6. When the sauce has reached your desired consistency, which to me is that it looks creamy enough to coat the macaroni, turn it off and keep covered.  The spinach will fully wilt with the remaining heat in the pot.
7. Drain the cooked macaroni and return to the hot pot.  Add the cheese mixture and combine well.  Let the macaroni with cheese sauce stand for 5-10 minutes… the sauce will thicken a bit upon standing.

 

Serve with a nice Tomato Salad on top… super comfort food in my book.

Baby Spinach and Potato Pastelón May 20, 2008

I am a single gal who shops at Costco…   you might find it hard to believe, but here in Puerto Rico some of the best produce you can find at Costco.  The catch is the size of the packages, which are huge for only one person.  I usually buy fresh strawberries, asparagus, grape or vine-ripened tomatoes, mesclun greens, oranges and baby spinach at Costco, among other non perishables.  When I can, I share with my mom, but most often times, I find myself with the challenge of cooking the same ingredients over and over in different presentations to avoid any spoilage.

That was the case a few days back with a large batch of baby spinach and grape tomatoes.  How many ways can a girl make the same two ingredients and not bore herself??

Here is an exercise in how versatile these two ingredients are…

 

 

BABY SPINACH AND POTATO PASTELÓN

2 large russet or red-skinned potatoes, washed and cubed

2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, washed and dried

About 10 grape or cherry tomatoes , halved – if you have regular tomatoes, they work fine too, just chop them

½ onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, grated or finely minced

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs butter or soy margarine

2 oz cream cheese

2 tbs  Parmesan Cheese, grated or shredded

Salt and Pepper to taste

Canola Spray

 

1. In a medium pot, boil the potatoes in salted water.
2. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the filling of the pastelón.  In a medium sized skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until softened.  Add the tomatoes and sauté until softened.  Add the baby spinach to the skillet.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper and toss to combine, until it wilts.



3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
4. When the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and return to the pot to mash them with the butter/margarine, cream cheese and 1 tbs of the Parmesan.  Season with some salt and pepper to taste.  I like using garlic salt here…
5. In a casserole dish sprayed with some canola oil spray, spread ½ of the mashed potatoes.  Top with the spinach and tomato mixture. Add all the remaining potato and smooth out the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top melts and creates a golden crust.  Because all of the components are already cooked…

 

Spinach and Asparagus Casserole April 20, 2008

I mentioned I am trying to eat less cheese, right?  So here is one of the recipes I have come up with to feel satisfied without adding cheese to my food.  It’s hard, like getting rid of an addiction.  But with dishes like these, it is getting easier each day…

 

 

SPINACH AND ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

1 tbs sofrito

½ cube of vegetable bouillon

1 shallot, finely sliced

½ green or cubanelle pepper

½ cup frozen corn

1 ½ cup cooked brown rice

½ container cream of asparagus soup

½ cup buttermilk or sour cream

10 grape tomatoes, quartered

2 cups of fresh baby spinach, washed well and spun dry

1 tbs Extra virgin Olive oil

Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste

1 tbs sliced almonds

 

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, pour the olive oil and add the sofrito.   After a few minutes, add the vegetable broth cube, add the shallot, pepper and corn and sauté. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice, sautéed vegetables, asparagus soup, buttermilk or sour cream, tomatoes, spinach.  Mix together well.  If the mixture is too dry, you can add extra sour cream, olive oil or even a little bit of soy milk to add some moisture.
3. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and add the almonds on top.
4. Bake in a 350 F degree oven for about 30-45 minutes so all the flavors meld together and the top is golden brown.

Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

This is a great dish to “clean out your fridge”… the ingredients I used were the little things I had left over from other dishes or little things I wanted to use up already.  So feel free to adapt this recipe to the things you want to clean out in your fridge.

 

Top Chef Pasta – Bucatini with Spinach, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese March 13, 2008

I love Top Chef…  I have been a fan since its 1st season. 

But being a fan of the TV show, I don’t understand why is it that I have never bought an issue of Food & Wine magazine, one of the show premier sponsors. Not even to read the feature article on the winners, which is part of the main prize package.  So last month I bought my first and only Food & Wine magazine to see what is it all about.  The main thing that attracted me to it was it had a feature on fast, hearty pastas… my weakness.

So in honor of Top Chef Chicago’s premier last night… I decided to try out my first Food & Wine recipe – Bucatini with Spinach, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese.  The original recipe called for spaghetti, but, as you will see, it works with any noodle in my opinion.  I was hungry and had all the ingredients in my fridge, so “manos a la obra”…

 

BUCATINI with SPINACH, TOMATOES and GOAT CHEESE

Adapted from the Food & Wine Magazine February 2008 issue

1/4 lbs bucatini or whole-wheat spaghetti   

2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, sliced thinly

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (about 6-7 grape tomatoes)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese

2 ounces of fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Pinch of crushed red pepper -optional

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until it is al dente.  Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and  crushed red pepper, if using.  Cook over moderate heat until the garlic is tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes begin to release their juices, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and cook until wilted about 2 minutes.

5. 

6. To the skillet with the tomatoes and spinach, add the pasta, the reserved pasta water and the grated pecorino cheese.  Toss over low heat until the pasta is coated with the sauce.  Season again with salt and pepper. 
7. Add the goat cheese and toss gently.

8. 

9. Transfer the pasta to shallow bowls and serve adding extra grated cheese if desired.

This was an awesome pasta dish.  Worthy of serving when company comes around, but easy enough to do any week-night.

Top Chef Chicago was super cool last night.  I still have not formed an opinion on who’s my favorite.  I guess Sam Talbot from Season 2 will always be My personal favorite.   In the meantime, I will continue trying Food & Wine’s awesome pasta selections… one down, 3-4 more to go. Mmmmm!!

Spinach Strawberry Salad March 7, 2008

I went to Costco yesterday.  And here in Puerto Rico, Costco has the BEST produce you can find… everything is beautiful and fresh and gorgeous. 

I bought yesterday strawberries (you know how I feel about strawberries), grape tomatoes and organic baby leaf  spinach.  You’ll be seeing these ingredients in the next few posts, I’ll promise. 

As I was doing my Serious Eats site daily perusing – I noticed this Talk string about being on a “kick”.  I get those sometimes, but nothing lately.  I read the post from evilchefmom saying she’s on a Strawberry Spinach Salad kick…  That’s exactly what I bought today – baby spinach and strawberries, never thinking when I bought them I would actually eat them together.

I decided to make my version of what she wrote… I do not normally mix fruit in my salads, but I decided to take a chance.  The results were DELICIOUS!!!!  Sweet and tangy, a very different salad that screams for company…

 

SPINACH AND STRAWBERRY SALAD

for one

2 handfuls of washed organic baby spinach

3-4 beautifully ripe strawberries – hulled and cut in pieces or slices

2-3 very thin slices of red onion

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil – the best one you can find

2 splashes of balsamic vinegar – about 2 tbs

Salt and Ground pepper to taste

a squirt of Honey

1. In a medium sized bowl prepare the dressing – Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and honey.
2. Add the strawberries and onions to the dressing and toss to coat.
3. In a salad bowl, arrange the baby spinach leaves and top with the strawberries, onions and dressing.

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this flavor combination, that I immediately made a mental note to serve this salad at any upcoming dinner party… this is too good to keep to myself.

Thanks eveilchefmom for showing me something I have never tried before…