Thursday, January 24, 2013

Recipe: Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

After a few years of being spoiled by mild Winters here (felt more like Spring), Old Man Winter has come back with a vengeance and it is bitterly cold with temperatures below freezing.  Nothing like a bowl of hearty hot soup to warm you up but what to make? If you have been keeping your pantry stocked up with basic items bought on sale such as dried pasta, tomato sauce, canned beans, and chicken broth, you can make this hearty Italian soup called "Pasta e Fagioli". Pronounced "pastah eh fahzeeohl", it has been also popularly called "pasta fazool" by American-Italians.
It started off as a peasant dish in Italy using inexpensive ingredients and what better recipe to make on a shoestring budget?
You can make this strictly vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 rib celery, finely chopped
  • 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans cannelini or kidney beans (undrained)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups dried pasta (traditionally ditalini is used but you can use elbow shape) 

Directions

  1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the oil.  Saute the herbs and chopped vegetables until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the cans of beans with their liquid (it will help thicken the soup), tomato sauce, broth and water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then stir in the pasta. Lower heat and allow the pasta to cook for about 8 minutes.
  3. Turn off heat and remove the herbs before serving.
  4. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top (optional).


Monday, January 7, 2013

Recipe: Squid Adobo (Adobong Pusit)

It's the new year and I'm sure we all made the resolution to lose weight by eating less fat and more vegetables (and perhaps seafood!)
Here is a Filipino seafood dish that has very little fat in it and is quick and simple to make.
I first tasted this dish years back when a dear friend made it for me to try in her tiny kitchen in Queens.

I was lucky to receive a pound of fresh squid this year as a Christmas present!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh squid (cartilage quill and beak removed)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  •  6 whole peppercorns
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 plum tomato sliced thinly
  • 1 small onion sliced thinly
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
 Directions

  1. Rinse and clean the squid making sure that the hard quill is removed and the hard beak.
  2. Put the squid, water, vinegar, and peppercorns into a large saute pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer for about a minute.
  3. Remove squid and cooking liquid to a medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Rinse out saute pan and put back on the heat. Allow pan to get hot (you'll notice the pan start to get dry)
  5. Add the oil and saute the onion, tomato, and garlic until it is all soft.
  6. Add the squid back to the pan and saute together with the vegetables for a minute then add the reserved cooking liquid, soy sauce, and sugar.
  7. Stir until everything is all combined.
  8. Remove from heat and serve with white rice.