Sasha's Kitchen: Banana Pecan Muffins

I love muffins.  They are perfect for breakfast, brunch or any other time of day.  And they can be easy to make, and much healthier than cupcakes.  I like to make my muffins with canola oil, rather than butter so they are healthier.  My favorite muffins are blueberry muffins and banana nut muffins.  I created my own recipe for banana pecan muffins a couple weeks ago that worked out just perfectly.  I made these in my mixer to combine the ingredients, but you really can make this recipe without a stand mixer. I made these for a saturday or sunday brunch, but the rest of them were enjoyed over the remainder of the week as perfect snacks.

Sasha's Banana Nut Muffins
7 T canola oil
1 1/4 milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 pureed bananas
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
1 T baking powder

To prepare these combine the dry ingredients.  Beat the egg well with a fork and combine the egg, followed by the canola oil, banana puree and milk.  Stir in the pecans.  Fill a silicon muffin pan with the batter (which should be enough to make a dozen muffins).  Bake in an oven preheated at 350 for about 20 minutes.

This is an easy baking recipe (and when I say easy I mean it, coming from the gourmet chef who still always screws up peeling hard boiled eggs) and is one kids are sure to love, too.

Sasha's Kitchen: Banana Pecan Muffins

Sasha's Kitchen: Food & Wine Pairing: Maple-Glazed Tuna with Potato-Pear Salad and Wagner Vineyards 2007 Riesling

Last  night we had a wonderful three course Saturday night dinner.  I made a wonderful bruschetta using black truffle oil for the appetizer, and then we had a recipe from Marcus Samuelsson's cookbook, New American Table, maple-glazed tuna with pear potato salad.  For dessert, we had my newest cupcake recipe, some pretty little coconut cupcakes.  For today, I'm writing about the tuna, but the other recipes will appear on the blog soon.  The truffle oil was such a nice addition to my cooking and well worth the $15 I spent on the bottle.  I plan to use it in making truffle creamed spinach next week.

At any rate, I am a huge fan of Marcus Samuelsson's culturally infused style of American cooking, with all the cultural influences from his own background as many of the different cultural and culinary traditions that make of America.  I'm not sure that this recipe has too many of those unique influences, but it is still a great recipe.  The salad was the perfect pairing for the sweet glaze on the tuna.

Wagner Vineyards' 2007 Dry Riesling, from a wonderful Seneca Lake winery in the Finger Lakes Region was a great pairing with the fresh fish and the sweetness of the maple-mustard glaze. I love so many of the finger lakes wineries because of my affinity for excellent Rieslings - and they make some of the best in the world.  Wagner's Riesling was crisp with plenty of citrus, and hints of apple or tropical flavors as well.  It was a nice smooth Riesling with a gentle sweet finish.  We really enjoyed it - thanks for sending me the wine, Wagner :)

Maple-Glazed Tuna with Pear Potato Salad (from Marcus Samuelsson's New American Table)
Fish
1 T dijon mustard
2 T maple syrup (use the real thing, please)
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
Four six oz tuna filets (I only made 2, but made the full salad and glaze anyhow)
salt and pepper
4 cilantro sprigs

Salad
1/4 lb olive oil
1 lb baby yukan gold potatoes (cut into quarters)
2 bosc pears (I used three for extra pear flavor)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups of shredded baby spinach (the original recipe only called for 1 cup, but I prefer a bit more)

First, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, lime juice and a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside for the glaze.

Season the tuna with salt and pepper on both sides.  Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the tuna and cook for 30 seconds on each side. This should be enough to sear the outside of the tuna, but the inside should remain raw.  It goes without saying that to make a recipe like this you must use the freshest, high quality tuna. I also sliced the tuna before serving, but that was mainly for presentation.

Remove the fish from the pan and glaze with the maple-mustard sauce on both sides. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with the pear-potato salad.

To make the salad, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and saute until golden, about 12-15 minutes. Add the pears, red onion, garlic, almonds and curry powder and saute another five minutes.  Toss with the lemon juice and baby spinach after removing from the heat.



This was a delicious combination!

Sasha's Kitchen: Food & Wine Pairing: Maple-Glazed Tuna with Potato-Pear Salad and Wagner Vineyards 2007 Riesling

Sasha's Kitchen: Strawberry Apple Crumble

Strawberries are in high season now and are one of my favorite spring and summer fruits.  I love making pies, but you would never put strawberry in a pie.  However, a strawberry crisp or crumble is just perfect.  Other fruits will go in a crumble perfectly as well, such as raspberries or blueberries.  My initial plan was to make a strawberry rhubarb crumble after I had an amazing one for dessert at Blue Water Grill in Manhattan.  However, I could not find rhubarb for sale at any of the grocery stores and organic markets I went to here in Brooklyn.  I'd love to know where to find it, but everyone kept telling me that they don't keep rhubarb in stock because it doesn't sell.  So I decided to go with apples, which I thought would absorb the flavors and juices of the strawberries nicely. I used fresh seasonal strawberries, which are of course, the key to this recipe.

Sasha's Strawberry Apple Crumble
1 lb fresh strawberries
2 large Pink Lady apples
2/3 of a cup granulated sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats

To prepare the filling, peel and chop the apples and remove the tops from the strawberries before cutting each in half. Combine the apples and strawberries with the granulated sugar and lemon juice.  Mix well and put the mixture in a prepared pie dish that you have sprayed with Pam, or something similar so it does not stick.

Next, create the crumble for the top.  This actually does not require a mixer and is very simple.  In a bowl, add the flour, melted butter, rolled oats and brown sugar.  Mix well using a fork until it combines into a crumble-like mixture.  Cover the top of the pie filling with the crumble.  Bake for 45 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees.

My husband absolutely loved this dish.  It's such a classic presentation of the freshest fruit of the spring and we both really enjoyed it.  It's also very easy to make - easy as well, pie.

Sasha's Kitchen: Strawberry Apple Crumble

Sasha's Kitchen: Thomas Keller's Cheesecake from Ad Hoc at Home

Cheesecake.  The unhealthiest dessert ever. But when made properly a nice light, refreshing cheesecake is so delicious that it is worth making every so often.  I've made cheesecakes before, of course, both my own recipes and following other recipes.  I decided, however, to try Thomas Keller's cheesecake from Ad Hoc At Home to see where it measured on the cheesecake-meter.  It was a delicious and classic cheesecake recipe that my entire family enjoyed at our family mother's day brunch. The hint of lemon is subtle and delicious while the mixture of cream cheese and mascarpone is just perfect for a light and airy cake on a graham cracker crust. I should add, as Keller does that you should not make any substitutions to reduce the fat content. It's a nice once a year treat, but you will not do it justice if you use lowfat products instead of the real deal with this recipe.  Yes, it's not so great for you, but it's okay for the occasional indulgence!



Ad Hoc At Home Cheesecake
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 T granulated sugar
5 T unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 lb (two packages) cream cheese (not reduced fat)
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla paste)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
grated zest of one lemon
1/4 cup plus 2 T heavy cream

Combine the ingredients for the crust and press into a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 325 for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned, and set aside to cool.

Bring a pot of water to boil for a bath.  Combine the cheeses and sugar in your stand mixer and beat at low speed to mix, then raising to medium speed.  Beat for three minutes until light and smooth.  In a bowl, beat the eggs and the extra yolks.  Add the lemon juice and slowly add to the cream cheese mixture, beating until combined, until there are no lumps. Add the lemon zest and the heavy cream and mix until well combined.

Wrap the springform pan in foil to prevent leaks.  Boil water in a pot (you should have started this before hand) and create a water bath. Put the springform pan in the water bath so that it goes up halfway on the sides of the pan on the outside.  This is the same way you make creme brulee, and in both cases is necessary so the dessert does not crack.  Fill the filling inside the cheesecake and bake for one hour at 325 until set and a light golden brown.

Allow to cool in the water bath, as the water cools (so it cools slowly and does not crack).  Then refrigerate and serve chilled.

Sasha's Kitchen: Thomas Keller's Cheesecake from Ad Hoc at Home

Eric's Kitchen in NJ: Ginger Glazed Mahi & Scallops Risotto

For Mother's Day my Mom and Grandma had me make them both of these dishes as their 'gift'. I had actually never cooked Mahi Mahi before but knew my Mom loved it so I looked up some recipes, considering what she already had in the house and settled on this one. As for the risotto, my Mom was more specific, saying she wanted, seared scallops with mushrooms, and leeks.

Let's start with the Mahi Mahi.

Ingredients (served 4-5 but we had two dishes):
2 large Mahi Mahi fillets
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 bunch of scallions, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced (2 cloves)
1 tbsp ginger minced
2 tsp olive oil
Cracked black pepper

Mix everything but the fish in a bowl and then add the fish and let marinate for 20 minutes in the fridge. After that, heat some light olive oil (takes high heat better my Mom taught me) in a pan and then add the fish, skin down, without the marinade and let it brown until crispy before turning. I only turn anything once and after I turned it, I let the other side sear for a minute or so before adding the marinade and letting it cook and thicken until the fish was done. The recipe suggested cooking the fish first and the marinade separately probably to let the fish cook completely without rushing it or to properly thicken the sauce but I ignored or forgot this and it turned out great anyway. The sauce had an amazing flavor! Also check out Sasha's Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa.

On to the risotto!

Ingredients (served 5 and there was a ton left over):
2 lbs. of sea scallops
2 cups of dry arborio rice
8 cups of 'better than bullion' mushroom stock (I forget how many tsp of bullion this is)
1 leek, chopped
1/2 a bunch of scallions
1 package of baby bella mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
cracked pepper
1/2 cup white wine, we used a chardonnay
1 tbsp white truffle oil

Start by sauteing the veggies in olive oil & white truffle oil until soft while heating the broth and then add the rice and the wine and continue to stir until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Then add the hot mushroom broth and stir until the rice absorbs it, maybe 1/2 a cup to a cup at a time until the rice is soft. Definitely taste it as you will know when it's done. It took around 45 minutes but we had it on the wrong burner to start without enough heat or it may have been quicker. Also we had a cup or so of broth left over but considering how much risotto we had left over, we will probably use it when re-heating. Here are a few other risotto recipes on this blog.

In the meantime, sear your scallops with butter and some white wine to de-glaze the pan as the butter starts to darken and dry out. Keep from adding TOO much butter or wine as it will prevent the scallops from properly searing. Also don't crowd the scallops in the pan as this can also prevent them from browning. I love seared scallops and added a picture mainly because they looked nice...

It took about 4 rounds of searing the scallops while Jenn stirred the risotto until everything was done so we set aside the scallops until the end and then mixed it all together. Everything turned out very nicely and my Mom and Grandma were both very happy! Now if I can only get them to read my blog entries!

Here are some other seared scallop recipes:
Sasha's seared scallops with Papaya, blood orange vinegrette and carmelized shallots
Sasha's scallops with organic mushrooms, spicy coconut lemongrass-thyme broth and pomegranate seeds
My fettucine with scallops and mushroom cream sauce

Eric's Kitchen in NJ: Ginger Glazed Mahi & Scallops Risotto

Sasha's Kitchen: Chilean Sea Bass with Heirloom Tomatoes

Chilean Sea bass is one of my favorite dishes to prepare. Usually, i prepare it using an Asian inspired marinade and papaya salsa. But this is a really versatile fish that can prepared a  umber of different ways. I love how soft, flaky and delicate Chilean Sea Bass is and it is a special treat. I understand that it is not the greatest fish from a sustainability point of view, but there is really nothing else out there quite like Chilean Sea Bass.

I decided to prepare the fish simply in a butter and white wine sauce, with fresh heirloom tomatoes, which are just coming into season to showcase the fresh tomatoes alongside the fish.  The sauce is really a thrown-together variation on a French classic beurre blanc, but unlike a more traditional Julia Child beurre blanc, the sauce has a lot less butter and is heavier on the white wine component.  It is lighter, and in my view, plenty enjoyable for flavorful meal.

Sasha's Chilean Sea Bass with Heirloom Tomatoes
Two 7 oz filets of Chilean Sea Bass
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 lemon
2 zucchini
assortment of heirloom tomatoes

To prepare the dish, heat the butter and melt it in the white wine. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and put the fish on a baking sheet with the heirloom tomatoes and zucchini. Drizzle several tablespoons of the sauce on top of each piece of fish. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top. Bake the fish for about a half an hour, until the vegetables are cooked and the fish is nice and flaky.  Serve with a bit of the reserved sauce.  This is a lovely fresh spring dish that was enjoyed almost as much as my asian-inspired signature Chilean Sea Bass dish.

Chilean Sea Bass

Sasha's Kitchen: Chilean Sea Bass with Heirloom Tomatoes

Eric's Kitchen in NJ: Asian Pan-seared Halibut

I'm staying at my Mom's house for the next three months while Jenn is up in Jersey City until we can get out of our lease. The only other person at my Mom's during the week is my Grandma and we decided to make Halibut this past Wednesday night. It was very easy and tasted fantastic!

Ingredients (serves 3):
3 halibut fillets
1/2 a bunch of scallions, chopped
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tbsp of white wine (we used a Reisling)
a nice coating of sesame seeds on one side of the fish

First we marinated the fish in all the other ingredients for about 15 minutes. Then I got some olive oil hot in a pan and added the fish, keeping the marinade aside while the fish seared. I only ever flip any meat or fish once I flipped it and gave it a few seconds to sear the other side (toasting the sesame seeds). Then I added the marinade and let that cook as well since it was on the raw fish. I covered it for a minute or so as well to help ensure it would be tender. I'd say no more than 2-3 minutes on each side for a 1 inch thick fillet. It came out perfectly flaky and delicious and was a pretty healthy meal in the end.

We served it with some chopped, stir fried bok choy. Same ingredients without the sesame seeds and added some turkey broth maybe half a cup at the end. Please keep in mind any measurements in my recipes are probably not completely accurate as I guesstimate.

Eric's Kitchen in NJ: Asian Pan-seared Halibut

Sasha's Kitchen: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

I know how popular cupcake posts seem to be, but as much as everyone seems to enjoy reading them, I can't just make cupcakes every weekend. I did make some cupcakes recently that I haven't posted yet, that I'd like to share with readers.  Gingerbread cupcakes is really a fall recipe, but when I saw the recipe in one of my cookbooks, Dishing Up Vermont, I knew I had to try it anyhow. I did some research for gingerbread cupcake recipes out there and this one seemed like the best one to try. I liked how the recipe made the gingerbread the genuine way, using a combination of spices and unsulfured molasses. Just be forewarned: unsulfured molasses has an unpleasant oder, but that all goes away when you mix it with the other ingredients.

I'm not making any more cupcakes until next weekend, when I'll be doing coconut cupcakes. This weekend, I plan to make cheesecake and a seasonal strawberry rhubarb crumble.  I should add that only the cupcake recipe is from the cookbook - I developed my own orange frosting recipe that is a bit simpler and plenty fresh orange.  So what happened to these cupcakes? Well they look like normal cupcakes in these pictures, quite a few of them (I made a double catch) got turned into my signature Alice in Wonderland Cupcakes.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Frosting (recipe adapted from Dishing Up Vermont)

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground salt

4T butter

1/2 granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup boiling water

Sasha's Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

2 T orange zest, freshly grated

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1/2 stick of butter

3 cups confectioner's sugar

drop of orange food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Mix the dry ingredients together (the flour, spices and salt). Then, in the basin of your mixer, beat the 4 tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar.  Add the molasses and the egg, continuing to beat until smooth. Be warned that the mixture may appear to curdle slightly and this really isn't a problem at this point in the recipe. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda with 1/2 cup of boiling water. Combine into the main mixture, whisking until combined.

Divide among the cupcake holders, filling each until about 3/4 full.  Bake for about 20 minutes until firm to the touch and lightly browned.  Like I have said before, you can use a toothpick to test the inside of the cupcake - it comes out clean when they are ready to come out of the oven.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you frost them.  To make the frosting, zest the orange and beat the confectioner's sugar, butter, cream cheese and butter for several minutes on high speed until the frosting has the right consistency.  Add a drop of orange food coloring to get the color. 

And yes, these tasted as good as they look.

Sasha's Kitchen: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Sasha's Kitchen: Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa

One of my best culinary related memories from our honeymoon in Hawaii was the sensational fresh Hawaiian fish - from the Mahi-Mahi to the baked opakapaka to the ahi poke, all of the fish was fresh catches of the day and some of the catches were fish that you can't find back on the mainland. Mahi-Mahi is one of the few fish that I ate in Hawaii that I am sometimes available to buy quality filets of locally.  So, this dish perhaps takes be back just a tiny bit to those meals at Mama's Fish House and the other great places we ate on that trip. Just an aside, I would love to make fresh ahi poke, but without the local Hawaiian fish quality, I don't think I could do it justice. That might not stop me from trying at some point anyhow though.

Mahi-Mahi makes an excellet soft taco, even though the fish is quite good, because it is a bit tougher than say salmon of chilean sea bass.  I did an asian inspired marinade, very similar to the marinade that I use in my signature Chilean Sea Bass dish.  It came out really well and my husband, who generally prefers the softer, flaky fishes, was pleasantly surprised.

Sasha's Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa

Marinade
1/3 cup mirin (or sake)
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup low sodium soy sayce
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 tsp dried lemongrass
1 tsp red pepper flakes
10 oz of Mahi-Mahi, skinned

Salsa
1 mango diced
2 T lime juice
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 to 2 T of diced cilantro

To prepare the fish, I allowed the marinade to soak for about two hours. Then, I grilled the fish, after cutting into small pieces, on my grill pan. You could, of course, grill the fish as one large piece and cut it up afterwards.  To prepare the salsa simply dice and combine the ingredients.  Allow the salsa to chill for about an hour before serving so that the flavors have a chance to mix appropriately. Serve in flour tortillas with a bit of sour cream.  Yum!

Mahi-Mahi

Sasha's Kitchen: Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa

Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Spicy Shitake, Bamboo Shoot and Cucumber Stir fry

I was rummaging around in my fridge for a low-fat snack and noticed the shitake mushrooms I had bought in Chinatown and some leftover ingredients from the great Dan Dan Noodles recipe I made from Fuchsia Dunlop's "Land of Plenty". I decided creating a new veggie dish was in order! I know most of you have never had cucumbers cooked, but when I lived in China, this was one of the ways they might be prepared so I decided to experiment. I also didn't wash the mushrooms. I simply brushed them off with a damp paper towel after removing the stems.

Spicy Shitake, Bamboo Shoot and Cucumber Stir fry

1 tsp vegetable oil (not olive)
2 tsp Tianjin pickled vegetable (I put three in the end because I like things spicier)
2 cups cleaned and chopped shitake mushrooms; stems removed
1 cup slivered bamboo shoots (I used canned)
1 cup English cucumber, cut into batonets
1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee)
1 cup chicken broth
salt to taste

Heat the oil in the pan/wok. Add the Tianjin vegetable and stir fry for 20-30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and a little salt to draw out the moisture. Add the chili garlic sauce, bamboo shoots and cucumber. Stir fry until the mushrooms are cooked; about 4-5 minutes. Add the stock and allow to reduce on medium heat. Add salt if needed (I didn't as the broth was salty enough).

Serves 4 (with rice or noodles)

Even when cooked, cucumbers stay crunchy and add a great textural element to this dish, but you could leave them out if you prefer and only use the mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Spicy Shitake, Bamboo Shoot and Cucumber Stir fry

Sasha's Kitchen: Blueberry Ice Cream

Summer is just around the corner, which means that it's berry time.  It's so easy to make your own ice cream at home, using a conventional ice cream maker.  Making ice cream at home is much easier that it sounds and simply requires some freezing time and a very limited amount of prep work.  I have made a variety of flavors but this time, decided to try something that was perfect for the early summer - blueberry ice cream.  It came out great - nice and creamy with a perfect blueberry flavor.  I love the color purple, so the best part about this ice cream was the fabulous deep purple color!  This recipe is totally my own original recipe.  You will find that most blueberry ice cream recipes out there may use even more yolks than I did, but it really isn't needed.  This was creamy, delicious and oh so very blueberry.  I should add that I live next to a gourmet ice cream store, but I still like to make my own ice cream.  Next up will be peach in June (with fresh organic peaches of course).

Sasha's Blueberry Ice Cream
2 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
7 egg yolks

First, combine 1/2 a cup of the sugar with the blueberrries and cook over medium heat for about five minutes.  In the meantime, heat the milk and heavy cream with the remaining sugar for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved.  Beat the egg yolks separately and add to one cup of the warm milk mixture. Then combine in full and continue heating for about 10 minutes until nice and thick, until the custard coats the back of a spoon.  Add the blueberry mixture and then freeze according the the manufacturer's instructions for your ice cream maker.

Blueberry Ice Cream

Sasha's Kitchen: Blueberry Ice Cream

Sasha's Kitchen: Veal With Shallots, White Wine, Blood Orange and Tomatoes

I love veal – it is definitely my favorite white meat, as I am not huge chicken fan, with a few notable exceptions. I love preparing dishes with veal scaloppini and veal cutlets.  To date, most of my veal dishes are fairly traditional, like the veal marsala that Brad and I prepared a few months ago.

This dish is a traditional veal dish in that it incorporates some of the usual suspects – white wine, tomatoes and shallots. However, it also incorporates one of my favorite innovative ingredients to cool with – blood orange juice.  I simply love the flavor of blood orange juice in so many dishes, from my scallops in a blood orange vinaigrette to my summer citrus salad.  In preparing this dish, I also used my favorite olive oil – blood orange olive oil from Round Pond Estate in Napa Valley.

Sasha’s Veal with Blood Orange, White Wine, Tomatoes and Shallots

¾ cup blood orange juice

½ cup Riesling or white cooking wine

¼ cup minced shallots

¼ cup of heavy cream

3 T butter

sprig of thyme

2 large fresh plum tomatoes

¼ cup diced fresh basil

veal cutlets or scaloppini (enough for two people)

Prepare the veal (season with salt and pepper first) by sautéing in a pan with Round Pond Estate’s Blood Orange Olive Oil.  In a small saucepan, combine the blood orange juice, white wine, thyme and shallots and reduce to about half a cup.  Add the heavy cream and heat for a few minutes until slightly thickened.  Coat the veal in the sauce and add the fresh tomatoes and basil.  This was delicious and I really liked the way that the blood orange flavors turned a traditional veal dish upside down – in the best way possible!

I’m back now blogging every day, after five days of no internet connection, which seemed like forever.  So stay tuned for more great recipes.

Sasha's Kitchen: Veal With Shallots, White Wine, Blood Orange and Tomatoes

Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Easy Salmon and Pea Pasta Shells

Hullo fellow foodies!

Ever have a work night when you need something quick and delicious but have nothing much in your pantry? I got home one night after a rough day at work craving a quick pasta dish but had forgotten to grocery shop on my way home. Staring into my cupboards and fridge, I came up with this quick and delicious dish!

Easy Salmon and Pea Pasta Shells

1 c dried mini pasta shells
1/2 cup canned peas, drained
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp chicken broth
1 tbsp light smoked salmon cream cheese
1 triangle Laughing Cow cheese light (you could use a tablespoon of regular cream cheese or sour cream)
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Cook the pasta according to the package instruction to al dente. Melt butter in a pan on medium heat. Put the cooked pasta in the pan with the peas. Add the broth, cheeses and garlic powder until the sauce melts but make sure the heat is not too high. You may not need any salt as the cheese may be enough. As an added treat, some grated romano or parmesan cheese might be nice on this to finish.

I love it when I find delicious recipes that help me clean my pantry as well!
Makes 2 servings as a main or 4 as a side

Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Easy Salmon and Pea Pasta Shells

Sasha's Kitchen: Spaghetti All' Arrabiata

Spaghetti All' Arrabiata is a pretty classic Italian dish. There are a million ways to make this dish, all of which are very similar. Below is my take on this classic.  I have made arrabiata before, but I have always used tomato puree.  However, Jamie Oliver suggests using canned plum tomatoes in his arrabiata, in Melanie Dunea's cookbook, the Last Supper.  Jamie Oliver is one of my favorite chefs, so I decided to follow this suggestion in doing my own arrabiata recipe.  It was a great idea - the texture of the whole tomatoes and the flavor was very different - much lighter and more enjoyable.  This recipe is extremely easy to make on a bust night, and was a big hit with my husband.  The leftovers were gobbled up for lunch the next day.

Sasha's Spaghetti All' Arrabiata
2T of red hot chile paste
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic
one onion, diced
3 cans of plum tomatoes
1 box of thin spaghetti
several sprigs fresh thyme
pepper to taste
canola oil

To prepare this dish, I sauteed the onions and garlic in three tablespoons of canola oil, over medium heat, for about three minutes until softened.  Then I added the chile paste and cooked for another minute or two.  Then I added the tomatoes and cooked for another 20 minutes until the sauce thickened.  At this point, I seasoned with the salt, pepper and thyme.  If it's not spicy enough for your taste, add a bit of cayenne pepper. In the meantime, I combined the pasta with the sauce (after cooking the spaghetti, of course). I noticed that Jamie Oliver also incorporates a small amount of bread crumbs.  I don't do that in my recipe, but it might be an interesting variation for next time.

Sasha's Kitchen: Spaghetti All' Arrabiata