Ziti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

All I have to say is YUM! This has to be one of my favorite Giada dishes for a couple of reasons. 1) It's light - there are no heavy sauces, not a lot of oil and you can even scale back on the prosciutto if you really want to (although I never do!) 2) It's quick - I can throw this nice meal together during the week without spending hours slaving over a hot stove 3) It's pretty - if you're entertaining, people will definitely like the looks of this meal and probably even ask you for the recipe. And come on...who the heck doesn't like asparagus, smoked mozzarella and prosciutto?

Ingredients:
Salt
8 ounces dried ziti or other tubular pasta
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1/2 cup)
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook for 7 minutes, stirring often. Add the asparagus and cook until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, and the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the pasta, asparagus, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and the 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid, and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the mozzarella, prosciutto, and basil and toss to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to shallow bowls and serve.

*Note - you can use regular mozzarella but I highly recommend buying smoked if you can. It can be found with all the imported cheese in the deli section of your grocery store.

The Good, Bad and the Ugly...Oh and the Artichoke Dip too!

The Good:

Saturday I had some girlfriends over to celebrate my 31st b-day. We iniciated a new rule this year, we'd throw in $20 each and buy the person one bigger gift instead of 5 smaller gifts. We'd also go out for dinner and do something fun like we've always been doing. So for my b-day I asked for a karaoke machine...kinda half kidding and half serious. I had asked Brian for one but he wouldn't cave, and now I understand why (I've been singing to him non stop since Saturday night.)

They got me pretty good though. Brian started out this week by saying the girls weren't getting me a karaoke machine and he'd buy one for me. I wasn't totally convinced of this. Then on Thursday he said the one I wanted was too much money and they couldn't swing it. I think at one point I suggested he give them some money to help defray the costs, but I digress. Lots of expensive things are going on with my friends - closing on houses, upcoming weddings, etc. so the money thing made sense.

Fast forward to Saturday night. My spirits were already down (wait until you read "the Bad") but I knew my time with the girls was going to be the pick me up I needed (still not believing what Brian was saying). So then Cicco walks in the pizza and a box. A smaller box. Definitely not a box that a karaoke machine would come in. I guess, from what my friends say, my face dropped (and this doesn't surprise me because I have a hard time faking emotions) because I was like...CRAP Brian was right, oh no I already pretty much announced on the blog that my friends were giving me a great present, etc. Then during dinner Rocco says "did we tell her yet that she's not getting her present?" I cut her off right there and announce that Brian had already told me the news, no big deal, I understand yadda yadda yadda. They tell me I got something, just on a smaller scale. I was thinking okay, maybe it's just a microphone or a gift certificate. So anyways, we go on with eating and chatting and finally, present time comes. I start opening the smaller present. Everyone is looking at me saying,"what do you think it is?" I open the box and it's empty! Nothing but tissue paper! Then behind the door DC and Brock roll out this HUGE box and I realize I've been punk'd! Finally, my karaoke machine. From there the fun began.

The Bad:

So rewind to Saturday day. I woke up around 9:30 and start dusting, sweeping, laundry, etc. to prepare for my guests. Around 3:30, I hop in the shower. After, I ask Brian to go down and get the laundry. He opens the basement door and yells some four letter words. There's water in the basement. There's actually a small kiddie pool in our basement. So we get the towels and mop out and start cleaning it up. Brian decides to wash the towels that we just used to wipe up the water. We go on about our business, I guess thinking it was a fluke and it wouldn't happen again. About 2 minutes left on the spin cycle, Brian opens the door to the basement and yells some four letter words. There's water in the basement...AGAIN. I still had to go to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for my artichoke dip so he said he'd clean it up. So I leave for the grocery store. When I get back, the shower is running, and I assumed Brian was in there taking a shower so I start talking to him but there's no answer. From the basement, Brian yells, SHUT OFF THE WATER. So you're probably asking yourself,"how long is it going to take them to figure out they've got a problem?" The answer - a couple times. So Brian HAS to take a shower. So I stay down in the basement while he takes the fastest shower in his life (Brian's usually in the shower for a good 20 minutes.) Sure enough...more water. For shits and giggles, I ask him to flush the toilet. Then the mother load....it's like a fountain of water spewing from the pipe. Thank goodness we had a really BIG bucket. We stop...and think...we've got a problem.

Brian then goes on to tell me I'll have to cancel my party. Fat chance mister...I'm getting this karaoke machine come hell or high water (literally)! So we call the town to see if they can make an emergency house call. I call and leave a message for someone to call me back. Well no one ever does until noon the next day when we figured out the answering service took down the wrong number! I could kill her. We called a couple times and she blamed the town, saying "they must have turned off their pagers." So needless to say, everyone still came over, no one peed and we used paper plates. IMO, the party was still a success.

The Ugly:

What the heck happened to the Patriots? You know - that team that was supposed to go undefeated, 19-0? They did not play on Sunday. I don't know who those men in tight pants were out there but that sure wasn't our beloved Brady. I won't act like I know (or give) to hoots about football. I like the Superbowl for the commercials, half time performances and most of all the food. But I have to say this game kept my attention, I was on the edge of my seat, and could not believe what I was seeing. When the Giants scored the final touchdown, our house went silent, for what seemed like hours. A house filled with about 10 people and you could hear a pin drop. We were, and still are, in disbelief.

and the Artichoke Dip:

And if you are still with me - on to the reason why I blog, the food! I've tasted a lot of artichoke dips in my day and I have to say this is probably the best - well besides the one at Cottonwoods. But it's definitely a close second. Try it and let me know if you like it as much as I do!

The Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

pepper to taste

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach (do not squeeze all of the water out of spinach and artichokes or else the dip will be dry.) Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

And some pictures for those who are interested.

Garlic Green Beans

I was reviewing the recipes I've posted and noticed that I've yet to post any veggie recipes. It's not because we don't eat them, it's just because during the week I mostly serve a salad as our veggie. My taste buds have changed over the years. When I was younger I wouldn't eat any veggies. I blame my mother mostly for this because she would always say "Nikki, eat your vegetables, it'll put hair on your chest." I was scared that I would literally start growing hair on my chest. And to top it off, being Italian, hair was a sore subject for me since I pretty much had to start shaving when I was in the 3rd grade! So to all those moms out there - don't tell your little girl she'll become a hairy beast if she eats her vegetables.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of green beans trimmed

1 tbs minced shallots

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp of olive oil

Salt to taste

Cook green beans in boiling water for about 5-6 minutes. Drain beans and either dump the beans in cold water or just run cold water over them to stop them from continuing to cook. In a pan, sautee garlic and shallots in the olive oil until fragrant - about 1 minute. Transfer cooked beans into the pan and sautee for about 3 minutes. Add salt (kosher salt or sea salt) to taste.

Ma! MEATLOAF!

MMMMAAAA! MEATLOAF...Quick - what movie is that from? Makes me laugh just thinking about it.

I've never really liked meatloaf. I actually have a story about my distaste for meatloaf. You've heard me talk about the SSCC - well it was our second meeting and we were talking about the upcoming months theme. We decided to write everyones favorite dish on a piece of paper and put them in a hat. Whatever dish you picked out, you had to make. No one wrote their names on the dish so you did not know who put what in. So my turn to pick, I open up the little piece of paper and it's MEATLOAF. Of course I make a face and say MEATLOAF....who the blankety blank's favorite dish is MEATLOAF? Now mind you this was our second meeting. I thought Jenn was going to kill me. Thank goodness they let me stick around long enough to find out I'm not a complete b. But seriously, whenever my mom made meatloaf as a kid, I thought of it more like a punishment. Just the word meatloaf grosses me out. Thank goodness, over the years, my taste buds and likes and dislikes have changed. So I made the loaf of meat for SSCC and it turns out, that it wasn't all that bad.

The recipe I'm sharing today though is different. This is Ina's (Barefoot Contessa)Turkey Meatloaf - and if you follow the recipes measuresments (5lbs of meat), it's enough to feed a small army. So I've tweaked the measurements just a tad, because ground turkey usually comes in 2lb packages. The leftovers are just as good - I usually just heat up a drop of oil in a skillet and add some salt and pepper to the sliced meatloaf.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onions)
1 tablespoons good olive oil
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
4 pounds ground turkey breast (two packages)
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.

Dill Mashed Potato Casserole

Please God let this week go by quickly. Saturday night I'm celebrating my b-day with my girlfriends. They are coming to my house for what should be a night full of sparkly headbands and blow up instruments. I'm anxiously awaiting my big gift, but I don't want to say anything until it happens. Check back on Monday to see if my dream and Brian's nightmare has come true.

In the mean time, here's a great recipe for mashed potatoes. What's so great about this recipe is you can make them ahead of time and chuck them in the oven to re-heat. Most mashed potatoes taste like crap if you don't eat them right away. This recipe was given to me by my sister in law, Suzie, and it's now an O'Neil staple. I've tweaked it just a smidge.

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
3 lbs. potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
Dill

Mix together cream cheese, garlic salt, pepper, and sour cream until smooth; set aside. Prepare and boil potatoes, drain and using an electric mixer beat potatoes until smooth. Add a small amount (1/4 cup) milk and sprinkle of salt to potatoes to help soften them. Next add sour cream mixture and continue beating until fluffy and smooth, then add 1 teaspoon dill. Spoon potato mixture into a buttered shallow 3 quart casserole dish and dot with butter and sprinkle with dill. Bake covered in a 400* oven for 25 minutes and then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.

Barefoot's Pan Fried Onion Dip

This dip is damn good - so good you could eat it with a spoon. If you love onion dip I think you'll enjoy this home made pan fried onion dip by Barefoot Contessa. I love a lot of her recipes but watching her show puts me to sleep. She's monotone and doesn't often get excited about what she's cooking, unlike Paula or Giada.

I put this in a bread bowl, but a dish and sliced french bread would do. It's also very good with plain kettle cooked chips.

Even Brian, who hates onions, ate it. Nuff said.

Ingredients:

2 large yellow onions

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Mexican Rice

TGIF! I'm so psyched the weekend is finally here. No big plans, just doing some errands, dinner with friends, watch the Pats on Sunday, which is my kind of weekend. This week I went to see Spamalot for the second time and I'll also be going next week. I know, a little obsessive, but the show is THAT good. Even if you don't love Broadway, this is a show you just have to see, which is why I'm dragging Brian to see it with me next week. I've been listening to the soundtrack all week. Brian pleads with me to turn it off because he wants the show to be a surprise. I just think he's sick of me singing every single words to every song. If they ever need an understudy for Lady of the Lake, I think I might just be that person they are looking for.

Now onto the food....this is a recipe I made up and it's so easy. Instead of using boxed rice try making your own. There's no need for all of those preservatives and sodium. I usually serve this when I make Mexican but really you can have it with just about anything. I find the key to great rice is using chicken broth instead of water.

Ingredients:
2 cups of chicken broth or water
1 cup of white rice
1 tbs of olive oil
1 can of dice tomatoes (regular or Rotel)
1/2 cup of tomatoe sauce
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
Lime (optional)

In a saucepan saute the rice with the olive oil over medium high heat. Stir rice so that it's evenly coated with the oil and does not burn. Once rice is golden brown, about 5 minutes, pour in water, tomatoes, tomatoe sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook rice for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro and maybe about a tbs of lime into the cooked rice and stir.