Saturday, September 22, 2012

Spaghetti and Shrimpballs with Mussels

Oh so delish. It may seem like this dish is complex but really it isn't and it's the type of thing you'd get in a restaurant for 30.00$. It made date night at home extra special.

Prep first: boil your spaghetti noodles and set aside. Clean your mussels and discard any open or cracked ones. Set aside.

For the Shrimpballs:
In a food processor, pulse together a bag of clean, thawed shrimp with 3 cloves garlic, small handful cilantro, salt pepper and bread crumbs until the mixture has the consistency of ground beef. Set in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to make balls.

For the broth:
In a soup pot, heat up olive oil and lightly fry a shallot and 5-6 cloves of minced garlic.
Deglaze the pot with a cup of white wine and bring to a simmer.
Add a cube of garlic stock, a cup of strained tomato liquid and a bottle of clam juice.
Add about a cup of water with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, a piece of lemon, a bunch of basil and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Now for cooking the shrimpballs: form your balls about golf size, and set on a plate. Once they are all made, place in your broth and cook for 6 minutes or so. Remove.
Next add mussels to the broth, cover and cook for 8 minutes until they open.

Ready to eat? Place some noodles in a bowl, with a few shrimpballs and pour the hot broth and mussels over top. Sprinkle a few basil leaves and parm cheese over top.


Moolicious!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Leek Potage

I think potage just sounds fancier, but basically this is a savory leek soup with bacon and white wine to give it a lot more depth. Perfect for date night. Enjoy.

1. Slice and clean the white parts of 5 leeks. Set aside.
2. Chop up about 4 slices of bacon and sizzle it up in your soup pot until crisp. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the leeks, 2 diced potatoes and 5 cloves minced garlic, salt and pepper. Saute until softened about 10 minutes.
4. Next add about half a cup of white wine, about 1 cup carrot juice (I used Bolthouse Farms brand) and a box of chicken stock. Grate a bit of fresh ginger if you have on hand. Bring to a simmer and leave it for 30 minutes
5. Finally, blend the mixture so that it's creamy and thick. I used a handy hand held mixer, but you can slowly do it in a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bacon.


Moolicious

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Veggiesangna

This lasagna was created because Mike wanted his meatballs served on the side, so my wifely duty was to make this possible. It was delicious and full of veggies and cheese, perfect when accompanied by a side of Italian inspired meatballs. Enjoy.

For a quick sauce, I used about 2 cups liquid tomatoes, mixed with pesto and minced garlic. You may only need a cup as you layer and the rest was used for my meatballs.

Cook your green spinach noodles to al dente about 5 minutes and set aside.

For the veggies: saute 2 cleaned and chopped leeks in oil with 2 cloves minced garlic for about 8 minutes then add half a bag chopped fresh spinach and let it wilt. Remove from heat and add a container of ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside. At this point you can add some more veg if you want, I
used some frozen peas and corn.

Grate about a cup of mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Now that you're ready, it's layering time. Prep your lasagna dish with a drizzle of oil, some sauce and then layer with noodles, leek mixture and some sauce. Repeat until no noodles remain and then top with your mozzarella. Bake for 35 minutes at 350.


Moolicious!!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Turkey Meatball and White Bean Soup

Yummy soup for a hot September day...This hearty and healthy soup is a blend of minestrone, Italian wedding soup and a classic chicken noodle. Whatever the inspiration, it turned out great.

For the meatballs:
- you'll need two pounds or so of ground turkey. Add a pinch of rosemary, a tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper, a handful of bread crumbs and mix well. Form into golf ball sized meatballs and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

- next, heat your soup pot with olive oil and saute 5 cloves of garlic, minced and 1 shallot, minced and 3/4 cup barley for two minutes.
- add 1 box of chicken or turkey stock, and about 2 cups boiling water, and 2 stalks chopped celery. Simmer to cook the barley, about 30 minutes.
- with about 8 minutes remaining, add about a cup of your favorite frozen tortellini, a can of small white navy beans and a bag of spinach and the baked meatballs.
- season with salt and pepper, ladle and enjoy.


Moolicious!

Monday, September 3, 2012

Bachelorette's Almond-Raspberry Cake

Julie made this cake pre-wedding, with peaches instead of raspberries and it has inspired me to combine my two favorite dessert loves; almond and raspberries. The recipe calls for a whipped cream and peach topping, but I left those out. I hounded her for the recipe, so I can't take full credit. Thanks Julie Poolie! I will think of you after biting into my third, fourth and fifth piece...

You'll need: 6 eggs, separated, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup ground almonds, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted , container of fresh raspberries and sliced almonds for the top.

Preheat oven to 325.
1. Grease bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan and lay with parchment paper.
2. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form and then slowly add in 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, beat egg yolks with the rest of the sugar (3/4 cups)
4. With a spatula, stir in the ground almonds, flour, salt, almond extract and butter and then gently fold in the egg whites.
5. Pour half the batter in the pan followed by a layer of raspberries and then top with the remaining batter. Sprinkle enough sliced almonds to cover the top and bake for about an hour.

Moolicious

Labour Day Muesli

This has been my summer go-to breakfast, lunch or post work out snack. Today, I made it along-side a half bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon spread. We enjoyed it after a tough Labour Day hike up Mount Royal. It's great because you can use any kind of fruit you have on hand.
In your bowl, put a handful of large rolled oats, about 1/4 cup plain yogurt, dollop of grape jelly, a few sliced grapes, strawberries, red raspberries, half a banana, a drop of milk, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of sliced almonds. Mix together and let the oats soak for a few minutes. Enjoy.


Moolicious