Amateurs with Knives

To say that I love soup wouldn’t quite be enough. I heart it. I have a box with all of my soup keepsakes under my bed and at night I practice writing my name with soup’s last name.

Too much information?

Anyway, ATK’s Light & Tasty has a version of soup that elevates a delicious vegetable soup by combining it with a tortellini soup.

A regular tortellini soup is mostly just a garlic broth with cheese tortellini and wilted spinach leaves tossed into it. That’s a very tasty combination, but the texture always leaves me wanting. It’s light, it’s mushy, and I suppose it will do on a cold night when you want pasta and a hot soup and can’t decide which you prefer.

A vegetable soup is usually a barbaric concoction of kitchen sink vegetables and beans with a broth, and I end up with more vegetables that I don’t care for than ones that I do.

Now we have the perfect hybrid — the cheese tortellini goodness and the favored vegetables together, at last, they way they were always meant to be.

Or maybe I’m just a sucker for anything with zucchini and pasta.

Whatever the case is, this soup is incredible and I definitely recommend it. It’s also a quick and easy recipe with very little mess, which is why I added the “Weeknight Cooking” label above. When I described the dish to Citizen Chef, he commented that it sounded too light. If this is your concern, fear not — there’s a lot going on in this soup. The vegetables are very hearty and, to top it off, there’s a cheese pasta in the mix. I served this with garlic bread and, when my household had finished off our meals, we were stuffed and happy.

Tortellini & Vegetable Soup
Adapted from ATK’s Light and Healthy 2010
Serves 8

6 garlic cloves, minced
1 zucchini, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt
1 onion minced (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 (9-ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini
2 1/2 cups baby spinach
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
pepper
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Measure out and reserve 1 teaspoon of the minced garlic. Combine the zucchini, 1 teaspoon of the oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini releases its juice, 3 – 5 minutes.

As a reminder, when the recipe calls for a small, specific amount of oil or salt, I know a lot of people don’t measure that. They just “eyeball” the amount. I typically do that as well however, because this book shows the “light and healthy” versions of food, I measure. There’s no point in calling it light and healthy if we’re not being careful to cut back where we can.

Uncover, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is golden brown and just tender, 2 – 3 minutes longer. Transfer the zucchini to a plate.

Combine the onion, garlic (minus the reserved teaspoon), the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the pot. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 – 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, 4 – 6 minutes longer.

Stir in the thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, add the tortellini, and cook, stirring often, until just tender, 3 – 6 minutes.

I got lucky – my grocery store carries fresh whole wheat tortellini, so I scored some of that for the soup. I thought the whole wheat version was delicious, so if you can get that, do it.

Off the heat, stir in the zucchini, spinach and peas, cover and let sit until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the reserved 1 teaspoon garlic and basil. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, ladle into bowls and sprinkle each portion with some of the cheese before serving.

Eat up. Yum.

Yesterday, I announced that I was doing a cookbook challenge — ATK’s Light & Healthy 2010, cover to cover. And I meant every word.

Let’s dig into the cover recipe, Spaghetti Carbonara!

Carbonara is a rich and heavy dish. No question. The essential players that make up the dish are spaghetti and bacon smothered in a cream and grated Parmesan sauce, then beaten eggs are poured into it for a rich and creamy decadence that leaves you feeling happy but sluggish afterward. On their own and in mass quantities, the ingredients aren’t the best for you, let alone poured together. Typically, Carbonara recipes hover around 600 calories and 28 grams of fat per serving. And don’t even get me started on the cholesterol — around 150mg. Yikes.

Now these are the numbers provided in the book by the Test Kitchen. So whatever recipe they were basing these off of, I don’t know. They might be a little inflated, though I doubt it. I’ve had a few different Carbonara recipes before, some of them from well known chefs (Zuni cafe comes to mind) and I would guess this is a fairly accurate number across the board. The book provides a much lighter solution that is delicious, definitely lighter and I didn’t miss the old, heavier versions at all.

Light & Healthy nutrition information:
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 410
Carbs: 58g
Protein 16g
Fiber 3g
Sodium 420mg
Fat: 11g
Sat. Fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 55mg

So right off the bat you can see why I said yesterday that this is not a diet book. This is merely a way of making your favorite, decadent foods lighter and healthier. At 11g of fat it’s still hefty, but you’ve at least taken the gun out of its hands and stilled the crazy look in its eye before it comes charging at your gut like a crazed rhino. In the past, I only dared to cook this dish once a year. Now I can cook it more often.

Light & Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 6
Adapted from Light & Healthy 2010

2/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (can substitute Parmesan)
1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 ounces Canadian Bacon, chopped coarse
2 slices bacon, chopped coarse
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pound spaghetti
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Process the cheese, evaporated milk, 1/2 tablespoon of the mayonnaise, egg, and egg white in a food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds. Leave the mixture in the food processor.

Cook the Canadian Bacon and bacon together in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and set aside.

When I stuck the bacon into the frying pan, my cat came over to check it out, hoping I might drop something for her. I never did, but something better happened — the Canadian bacon was getting so hot it was “popping” out of the pan and flying out — at my cat. She was so startled by the sudden bacon attack that she went running from the kitchen.

In Soviet Russia, food hunt you.

(Overused meme win!)

Add the garlic and pepper to the fat left in the pan, and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the wine, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. If you’re a good multi-tasker, you can put the water on during the bacon step. Add the pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti since it’s better for you and, I think, more hearty) and 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. The spaghetti box will tell you how long. Reserve 1/2 cup of the spaghetti water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise until coated.

Add the wine & garlic reduction, with 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, to the food processor mixture. Process until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute. Immediately pour the egg mixture over the pasta and toss to combine. If it’s too dry for your liking, add a little more of the reserved pasta water. Stir in the bacon. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Long ago, before I was serious about cooking and the only food I liked to cook was dessert or pasta, I picked up a funny looking book from the closeout section of a bookstore. At the time I had no idea who James Beard was, I just wanted to buy another cheap book on pasta. After buying it, the book went into a pile and was forgotten. The book: James Beard’s Beard on Pasta.

James Beard, a very important figure in American cooking, has left behind a culinary legacy. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

[Beard] was an eccentric personality who brought French cooking to the American middle and upper classes in the 1950s. Many consider him the father of American-style gourmet cooking. His legacy lives on in twenty books, numerous writings, his own foundation, and his foundation’s annual Beard awards in various culinary genres.

A few weeks ago, I was cleaning out my closets and came across it. And what a find. This book, now out of print, contains many wonderful little recipes created by James Beard. Many of them can now be found in his later books, such as The New James Beard, but this one is entirely pasta. If you can find a copy, it would be well worth your while to pick it up.

As an aside, I would like everyone to know that the reason I don’t underline my book titles is because I don’t have a button for it, and I don’t know html to provide one. Every time I ask the admin for one he just says, “Just type leet-slash-hacker-backslash-hax-omg!” or something and of course I never remember. So that’s why my formatting is weird.

But back to the book! I’ve made a couple of things from the book so far, including a really fantastic dish that is based on a jelly roll. No joke — you bake it like a souffle then roll, slice it and top with a simple, savory tomato sauce… It’s crazy good. I’ll post it next week. The tomato sauce he accompanies a lot of his dishes with is this fantastically simple sauce with such a wonderful flavor — and it’s basic enough that you can do a lot with it.

So, I decided I would pair it up with some meatballs and serve it atop some whole wheat pasta. For our meatballs, I picked something from the Barefoot Contessa and, in the end, I ended up with a delicious meal that was prepared entirely in 30 minutes.

Novice chefs and those afraid of the device we call a “stove”, take note because this dish is for you.

So we start with James Beard’s simple tomato sauce.

Simple Tomato Sauce
From James Beard’s Beard on Pasta

1 – 28 ounce can Red Pack whole tomatoes in puree
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried spice of your choice (oregano, thyme, basil, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter

Put tomatoes, diced onion, spice, salt & pepper into a pot. Cook on medium for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally, breaking up the tomatoes. Add butter, stir until melted and incorporated into sauce.

Note: For a smoother sauce, puree in a food processor or blender after the sauce has finished cooking.

That’s really all there is to it. Here’s my sauce in action:

Throw it all in a pot, cook, process with 4 one-second pulses to give it the texture you see in the photo.

To organize my time I put the sauce ingredients on the burner first, then threw together my meatballs. When there was only 15 minutes left in the game, I threw a pot of salted water on and cooked the spaghetti noodles.

Baked Meatballs!
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

1 pound meatloaf mix (combination of veal, pork & beef)
1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (2 slices, crusts removed)
1/8 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, but try to avoid compacting the meat as much as possible. Form 1-inch balls and place in rows on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.

So again, it’s a little bit of work for a good turnout. Here’s the before and after:

As I’ve said before, I prefer baking meatballs over frying because it’s healthier, it’s easier to cook and clean up, and also because I never have to wonder if the meat is cooked all the way through. Put them in the oven for 25 minutes and “call it good”.

This was a delicious meal, easily prepared and easily tidied up afterward. Plus, there’s just something mentally satisfying about spaghetti and meatballs. Maybe it’s the kid in me, I don’t know, but this made me very happy. Serve with garlic bread and/or salad and feel like a kid again.

I make a lot of stir fry. It’s easy, delicious, there’s vegetables in it, it contains rice (my fave) and it’s a one-pot meal. There’s also another personal reason, and that’s because my spouse has to “prepare” his food before he begins to eat it, so if I put something in front of him that’s not scoopable and needs to be cut up into a million pieces (like a steak or a chicken breast), then we’re going to be waiting a while because he cuts everything on his plate first before he eats it. By the time he’s done preparing, I’m finished with my food. So the stir fry is the nice compromise. There’s no cutting, just shoveling delicious mouthfuls of food into one’s mouth.

This is my current favorite out of my large stir fry repertoire and it comes to us by way of that book I haven’t stopped yammering on about: The Cook’s Illustrated “Best 30 Minute Recipe“. What I like about this is that there’s a generic stir fry recipe that’s accompanied by a table that tells you how long specific vegetables need to be steamed for. This allows for mixing and matching your favorite vegetables. On the next page, five very different sauces are listed that are added to the stir fry. Technically, you could have stir fry all week with basically the same protein and leftover vegetables, all you have to do is mix up the sauces for a totally different result. It’s that pair of pants you wear a couple of days a week, but the different shirts make it seem like a completely different outfit.

If you want to get the vegetable chart and the varied sauces, you’ll have to pick up the book. Here’s my favorite concoction with chicken, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini and snow peas.

Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut-Curry Sauce
Adapted from The Best 30 Minute Recipe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, separated
1 pounds prepared vegetables: cauliflower, snow peas, julienned zucchini and slivered carrots
1/2 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated, fresh ginger
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Toss chicken with soy sauce. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add protein and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned (3 – 5 minutes). Transfer chicken to a clean bowl. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the stir-fry sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, fish sauce, curry paste, brown sugar and cornstarch until combined. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil and 1/2 cup water to pan and return to medium high heat until oil is shimmering. Add cauliflower florets to pan, cover and steam for 3 minutes (set your timer — it helps). Carefully remove lid. Add carrots and cover, steaming for 2 minutes. Carefully remove lid. Add snow peas and zucchini and cover, steaming for 30 seconds. Vegetables will be crisp-tender. Clear center of pan and add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil, garlic and ginger. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and juices back into pan. Whisk coconut milk mixture to recombine, add to pan and bring to simmer. Cook sauce until thickened 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Words can’t describe how happy this meal makes me. It’s fast and simple, and a delicious way of getting vegetables into your diet. If you’re worried about spice, don’t be, this is pretty mild. Still, if you’re nervous, the red curry paste can be cut back to 1/2 tablespoon and still have a pleasing effect.

You may have noticed that our September Magazine of the Month is, in fact, no longer available on the shelves, as it is the August edition of Bon Appetit. Fear not fellow food lovers, Bon Appetit gives it up for free on their website!

Bon Appetit September 2009 Table of Contents

And, as they say, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

Photo courtesy of Nigel Cox, Bon Appetit

My first jump into the magazine was their turkey burger and I’m shamelessly starting with the Bon Appetit photo. Reason being, this burger was absolutely rockin’. My own photos, not so much.

I adapted this burger to my own needs quite a bit because it calls for things I didn’t have, wouldn’t purchase, or wouldn’t eat. First, it called for seeds that are first smoked then finely ground. I had the ground spices already (cumin and coriander) and didn’t want to spend additional money just so I could toast a teaspoon of seeds, so I just used what I had and it came out fine. Cumin was definitely the more prominent, but not overbearing, spice. Funnily enough, this burger also calls for smoked paprika, which my spouse hates, but mixed with the rest of the spices, the lemon juice and olive oil, he didn’t notice. You could also toss the paprika in for some toasting if you wanted to. I was worried about bringing out too much of the paprika and turning my spouse off of the meal, so I didn’t. I snuck it into the aioli like a ninja… albeit, a ninja holding a container of bright red spice, but whatever. It worked and he loved it.

Per usual, I fixed these bad boys on a George Foreman set to high heat. After it was warmed up enough, I gave the bottom plate a decent brushing of olive oil (about a tablespoon or two) and then set the patties on top. As I’ve said previously, compacting a burger is a really bad idea so I did not close the top. I also doubled the burger size. I used a pound of turkey for two burgers and, as you would imagine, at the end of the burger I experienced a waistband emergency as my midsection reached full capacity and was ready to burst.

But they were good. So very good.

Here’s my very busy sideview photo, with the second burger in the background and some onion rings poking into the picture. After I assembled the burgers and took the photos, it occurred to me that I should have put the tomatoes and spinach leaves on the bottom bun, put the patty and cheese on top, and photographed a lovely, open-faced burger. But by that time I was starving and smell of burgers was prevalent throughout the house, so I said to hell with the pretty photos and started eating. I’m sure you understand.

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Monterey Jack and Smoky Aioli
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
3 – 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
4 1/3-inch-thick red onion slices
4 slices white cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
4 sesame-seed hamburger buns (or something that tastes fun – not plain)
Arugula or baby spinach
Tomato slices

Toast cumin and coriander in small pot over medium-high heat until aromatic, shaking skillet often, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool. Whisk mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, and ground spices in small bowl. Season aioli to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Place turkey in medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons aioli; mix gently. Using damp hands, divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, then form each into scant 3/4-inch-thick patty, about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. (Or go the MM route and split that sucker into two patties — wear tight, nonstretch pants at your own risk!) DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or Foreman (high heat, just the way Georgie likes it — yeah, that’s a little weird, I know). Sprinkle burgers with salt and pepper.

Toast buns. Grill turkey burgers 5 minutes (or 7 – 8 minutes) for the MM-sized gigantic burgers). Turn over; grill until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Top each burger with 1 cheese slice and grill until meat is cooked through and cheese melts, about 1 minute longer. Place 1 turkey burger on each of 4 bun bottoms. Top each with dollop of aioli and some arugula/spinach and tomato slices. Cover burgers with bun tops and serve.

I liked these a lot and will probably make them again. I was, at first, concerned with the turkey drying out because I’ve had bad experiences with cooking ground turkey in the past — typically I choose ground chicken over turkey for that very reason. But it wasn’t a problem. The burgers came out moist and very flavorful, and the scent of the toasted spices was a really nice touch. The turkey makes them very hearty, so I could see myself serving this for a weeknight meal in the middle of winter.

Overall, the time it took to make these was very short — I’d say 30 minutes? Prep time was about 7 minutes to make the aioli and spices, and the rest of the time went to toasting the buns and cooking the beef. By the time my oven was preheated and my onion rings were baked, the burgers were done.

Delicious.

If you’re anything like my spouse, you will see the above photo and hone in on the bun. Your words will be, “OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THAT WHITE STUFF ON TOP? IS IT FUNGUS? MOLD? DROOL FROM THE EVER-ELUSIVE SASQUATCH?”

It’s flour and the buns were fresh and delicious. Relax and enjoy.

I’m not a vegetarian, but it’s food like this that might actually sway me to become one: Stuffed Tomatoes with Parmesan, Garlic and Basil.

We’re on the final days of our August 2009 Magazine of the Month, American Classics, and I’m rounding it off with a delicious vegetarian dish that can be served as a side or main: Stuffed Tomatoes.

The recipe calls for 6 “large, ripe” tomatoes. I generally prefer tomatoes on the vine, but given only the description of “large” and nothing more, I automatically think “beefsteak” because they’re the largest that I can commonly find in my grocery store. Because I was serving only two people I halved the number of tomatoes, thinking I wouldn’t eat a whopping 6 stuffed tomatoes. Who would do that, right?

Oh, my. If only I knew then what I know now: I would have eaten a truckload!

This reminded me of my dad’s tomato plants. When I was a kid, my dad used to grow tomatoes in the backyard. As they’d ripen, he’d pick them right off the vine, quarter and sprinkle them with a little salt on top. We’d eat ‘em just like that.

Similarly, our Stuffed Tomatoes are hollowed out, sprinkled with kosher salt and allowed to sit, upside down, for 30 minutes. Not only does the salt eliminate the excess moisture, but it adds a flavor that reminded me of my dad and those delicious, salted tomatoes he’d serve up as summertime snacks.

As it turns out, three beefsteak tomatoes requires the full recipe of filling — not halved. Even with the full recipe of filling I wasn’t able to fill up my tomatoes all the way. They were loosely packed to the top and, after cooking, sunk into the tomatoes a bit.

Here’s an “after baking” pic, and you can see how the filling sunk into the tomatoes:

If you like the gigantic beefsteak tomatoes, make more filling. It’s not that hard or time consuming, anyway.

Here’s another little trick: Place your tomatoes into a nonstick muffin tray to bake. The muffin tin will enable the tomatoes to retain their shape — after they come out of the oven, they will need to be eaten right away because they’ll spread and start to fall apart.

This above shot was taken after the tomatoes had been resting for 4 or so minutes. The tomato starts to spread a bit — which is fine, because they get cut up and inhaled pretty quickly anyway.

If you have extra fresh bread, tomatoes and basil to get rid of, you’ve gotta make these. No kidding around, these tomatoes were delicious.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Parmesan, Garlic and Basil
Adapted from American Classics

6 large firm, ripe tomatoes, 1/8 inch sliced off steam end, cored and seeded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large slice white bread, torn into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (note: I used Romano)
1/3 chopped fresh basil leaves
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
Ground black pepper

Sprinkle inside of each tomato with salt, and then place each tomato upside down on several layers of paper towels; let stand to remove excess moisture, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about ten 1-second pulses (you should have about 3/4 cup). Toss bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, Parmesan or Romano, basil, garlic, and pepper to taste in a small bowl; set aside.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees; line bottom of 13×9 inch baking dish with foil or coat bottoms of muffin cups with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.

Roll up several sheets of paper towels and pat inside of each tomato dry. Arrange tomatoes in single layer in baking dish/muffin tin. Mound stuffing into tomatoes (about 1/4 cup per tomato); drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.

A+. If you end up with extra tomatoes that you aren’t sure what to do with, give these stuffed tomatoes a try; they are delectable.

When I saw this recipe posted over on Serious Eats last Friday, two things immediately sprang to mind:

1. Oh my God, that looks awesome.

2. The voice of Gordon Ramsay screaming, “These scallops are raw!” then beaning some poor, hapless cook with one.

See, I had never cooked scallops before so I was pretty nervous about the undertaking, but I took the plunge anyway.

So glad I did, too. This was incredible.

The ingredients were few and simple, which is my preference with seafood. Less is more. Don’t let thick sauces get in the way.

I was also quite intrigued with the book that this dish came from: What We Eat When We Eat Alone. The title in itself is interesting because I know what I eat when I’m alone — take out, fast food, leftovers, anything I don’t have to make myself. I think a lot of people don’t cook when alone. I don’t know why that is. This past Saturday night I had the house to myself. What I could have (and should have) done was cook a food that I normally don’t get to eat when I’m cooking for my spouse (things he typically doesn’t like). But guess what I ended up doing instead? Leftovers. And eating leftovers is good because letting food go to waste is a bad practice, but I could have had fun cooking and didn’t grab the opportunity.

I think I’m going to check out this book. If only a dozen dishes are as fantastic as the scallops I made on Friday night, it would be a worthwhile investment.

Scallops with Slivered Asparagus and Lemony Wine Sauce
Adapted from What We Eat When We Eat Alone, by Deborah Madison

12 ounces asparagus
6 – 7 large sea scallops
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, in all
1 fat scallion, white part with a little green, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoon zest (Meyer) lemon
2 – 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Splash of white wine

If the asparagus is thick, peel the stalks. Don’t bother doing that with thin asparagus. Slice them diagonally up to the tips. (If you are doing this well in advance, put the asparagus in a bowl, cover with a damp towel, and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.) Peel off the opaque muscle of the scallops, if any is evident, and discard. Pat scallops dry with paper towels.

When ready to cook, put up to 8 cups of water to boil for the asparagus. Add salt, then the asparagus and boil until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain them just before they’re ready as they’ll continue cooking in their heat, then return them to the pan and toss with a little of the butter and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Simultaneously, melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet. When the foam subsides, add the scallops. Cook over medium-high heat until golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then turn and cook the second side. When done, divide the asparagus between 2 plates, then nestle the scallops on top.

Add the remaining butter, scallion, herbs, and lemon zest to the pan, allow the butter to melt and foam, then add the splash of wine and squeeze for lemon (to taste) and let it sputter and boil. After about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, add a little pepper, and spoon the sauce over the scallops and asparagus. Serve with crusty bread to capture the juices.

Be sure to spread the wine sauce over the asparagus, too — I tried keeping it to just the scallops and realized it was a missed opportunity. Mixing the asparagus with the buttery sauce was such a simple, flavorful combination that couldn’t be beat. Butter+wine+scallops? Yes, please! When I had finished up the dish, I wished I had cooked more. Putting this dish together took about 20 minutes and clean up took 5. And for price, it really can’t be beat — about $7.50 per plate. If I had used a nice bottle of wine it would have been more, but I confess I used a cheap, white cooking wine from the grocery store. Definitely next time — because there will be a next time and it will be soon.

This weekend, I had a chance to catch up with my brother. I live at opposite ends of the country from the rest of my family, and when it comes to my brother, I don’t think there’s much farther that we could be. He’s in Southern Cali, I’m in upstate NY. Being a close family, that’s hard on me because I don’t get to see him as often as I like. I miss eating together and cooking together. Years ago, when we both lived in Seattle, I’d go over to his house and giggle at his dinner set up. Oh, you think I’m bad with my scheduled dinners, but I’ve got nothing on my little brother. On his refrigerator he clipped a little chart of what he was going to eat each day of the week, every week. Mondays, he would eat spaghetti with sauce from a jar. And not just one or two Mondays — every Monday indefinitely. He was very scheduled like that so he didn’t have to wonder what he was going to eat every day.

That was then. These days, he’s lightened up a bit. I got to talking about the Cook’s Illustrated book I’ve been going through, The Best 30-Minute Recipe, and he seemed very interested. I told him to head over here and see what I had been cooking. He said he would. I was thinking that I should give everyone a break from this cookbook, but now I have a mission — I’m not just cooking for this website, I’m cooking for my brother! It’s the best I can do, seeing as how I can’t just pop over to his house and have a BBQ.

So here’s a little something from the book. The other day, I whipped up a 30-minute version of Chicken Tagine. This one is loosely based on the tagine of Moroccan cultures, which is a braised stew cooked in a clay pot. When my modern, Americanized version was finished, I served it over a very basic couscous.

I liked the simplicity and heartiness of this meal and, let’s be honest, I’ll eat anything with chickpeas in it. This dish does require a little brightening, so don’t omit the cilantro. The chicken could also use a good squeeze of fresh lemon, as all it’s really getting for seasoning is salt and pepper. Our web admin felt that the chicken was a little lacking in flavor, and it didn’t occur to me until later that I should have added some bright, fresh lemon juice.

30-Minute Chicken Tagine
Adapted from The Best 30-Minute Recipe

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 teaspoons garam masala
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce can) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Season chicken with salt and pepper and arrange in single layer in microwave-safe casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on 50 percent power for 15 minutes. (Note: This is the first time I’ve ever cooked meat by microwave – it was a little weird but came out a lot better than I expected.) While chicken cooks, heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in onion, garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broth, scraping any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes, apricots and chickpeas, bring to simmer, and cook until apricots begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add microwaved chicken with any accumulated juices. Cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over chicken. Serve.

There’s a part of me that still balks at the 30-Minute Recipe deal, as if I’m cheapening my meal — especially when I go ahead and do something like cook my chicken in a microwave. It’s weird, to say the least, but I’ve actually learned some new techniques. I really believe in this book for fast meals, and would recommend it. In fact, I’m thinking I might buy the book for my brother, and possibly all my friends. They’re definitely more trustworthy and flavorful than Rachael Ray, and they’re great, basic recipes you can build on.

Simple Couscous
From The Best 30 Minute Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cup small couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups water

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add couscous and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, 3 – 5 minutes. Stir in salt and water and bring to boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork before serving.

I love a simple chicken breast with a tasty and healthy side accompaniment. Couscous fits that bill nicely. If you prefer salty and savory tastes over sweet, this version of couscous may not be for you. Anyone and everyone would love the chicken, which came out deliciously with a light breading and just a hint of salt and pepper to keep it interesting and flavorful. Baking it on a low temperature kept it moist and it’s finished off with an orange oil. This dish is quick and easy and is made quickly, in just 30 minutes.

Chicken and Couscous with Fennel & Orange
Adapted from ATK The Best 30-Minute Recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and sliced thin
1 cup regular, fine-grained couscous (not large/Israeli-style)
4 garlic cloves
Cayenne pepper
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or Italian parsley

Adjust rack to lower-middle position, place baking dish on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat and shake off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken lightly on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer chicken to dish in oven and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 10 – 15 minutes.

While chicken bakes, add 1 more tablespoon oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, fennel, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion if softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in couscous, garlic, and pinch cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in 3/4 cup of orange juice and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer, cover and let sit off heat until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Make drizzling oil: Whisk together remaining oil, remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons of cilantro or parsley, and pinch of cayenne. Set aside.

Gently fold remaining cilantro into couscous with fork and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle oil over chicken and couscous when serving.

I’ve bought a lot of cookbooks where the majority of recipes go untouched, and I know I’m not alone. I’ve never met a cookbook that I was 100% sold on.

Until now.

Shocked that it’s some 30-Minute thing? How about if I tell you it’s from America’s Test Kitchen?

Oh yeah, baby.

I scouted around for a group who was cooking this book, and I haven’t found one. If there was one, I would join it in a heartbeat. Heck, I’d even start one. (Anyone want to join?)

30-Minute Recipes have a bad track record. Most dishes just aren’t that good or require too many “storebought” components that make you feel as if you should have just ordered take out. I confess, this book does have a little bit of that, but not a ton. It’s minimal effort with delicious results and still retains ATK’s feel, including recipe explanations, descriptions and taste tests. And, even if I feel a little stuck up about adding a jarred sauce or pre-roasted chicken, I remember this is America’s Test Kitchen and they know what they’re doing. Taste tests have been done on a lot of their “shortcut ingredients” like supermarket tomato sauces. Their highest scored was “Patsy’s Marinara” but our money-conscious web admin was at the grocery store with me and said, “$7.50? For a jar of sauce? What about that one? (points) It’s $2.00! They’re all the same thing!” According to ATK they aren’t all the same, but we went with the number two taste test selection, Bertolli Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce for $2.50 out of principle.

Here’s their Skillet Lasagna. A mixture of beef and pork go into a pan with garlic and broken lasagna noodles and is topped with marinara and water. The mixture cooks for 20 minutes to allow the noodle pieces to absorb water and soften, then is topped with dolloped ricotta, Parmesan and fresh basil.

Yeah, it really is that easy.

Skillet Lasagna
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, The Best 30-Minute Recipe

1 pound meatloaf mix
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and ground black pepper
6 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles (8 noodles), broken into 2-inch pieces
1 (26 ounce) jar tomato sauce, such as marinara (about 3 cups)
2 cups water
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Cook meat in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon, until fat renders, 3 – 5 minutes. Drain meat and return it to skillet.

Stir in garlic, pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Sprinkle broken noodles into skillet, then pour in tomato sauce and water over top. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.

Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over noodles, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand off heat until cheeses melt, 3 – 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

I give this dish a strong A grade for flavor and ease. And, if you want to mix it up a bit a week or two later, the book provides a variation with sausage and red bell pepper. That’s something else I really like about the book, is that they do provide a lot of options for switching things up.