Pasta Mescolanza - Mesco What?

Now I bet you are wondering about the title of this post. No, it doesn't mean eggplant which is ironic since that IS the main ingredient. Basically it means mixed up pasta.  This is the word my grandmother used to dub my dishes whenever I made up recipes that seemed odd or foreign to her.  So it seemed quite fitting to give this dish that name since it is typical of my  'what do I have to cook with?' style.

It all began this past Monday as I was driving home from the city right around lunch time.  I was so hungry that my first instinct was to stop on any city street corner and grab some food.  I even considered one of those nasty looking carts that didn't look quite...well, shall we say "healthy". Lucky for me my natural tendency was to not spend money needlessly when I knew there were items at home.  It just required some patience.  I endured the ride home and used the time to mentally survey what contents presently existed in my refrigerator. I knew I had two things that needed to get used soon. Eggplant and feta cheese.  (I zealously over bought fresh feta from our local Armenian market because it looked oh so beautiful and I wanted to do a taste comparison between French & Greek Feta.)

I also knew I had potatoes and for a split second starting building on that.  Until my Italian roots kicked in with deep rumblings from my stomach crying out PASTA. Which is how that became the base for whatever it was I was about to cook up.  As with any 'something from nothing'  creation, you build as you go.  I got home and immediately put water up to boil for my pasta.

Pasta boiling away.Doesn't that look like the start of something heavenly.  

Then I opened the fridge to see what else might tag along on this eggplant, feta, pasta ride.  Staple items sitting in the door shelves screamed out 'Use me, it's been awhile.'  In order of loudest screams were:  sun-dried tomatoes, oil cured olives, and capers. The shallot and garlic were a given to be used.  Earthy, strong, powerful flavors taking a stand for pasta.

While the pasta was boiling away, I cubed the eggplant and in a screaming hot cast iron skillet I added a small amount of oil and the eggplant.  Key here, do not add too much oil or touch the eggplant.  It's a sponge.  The more oil you add the more it will absorb and then it gets mushy.  Not stirring them around allows them to sear, which is what I wanted.  

Whilst that was cooking away, I chopped up sun-dried tomatoes, black oil cured olives, shallot and garlic.  

Once I gave the eggplant a stir, I added a bit more oil along with the shallots and garlic to let them cook.  Then in went the rest of the items.  Do not add any salt to this before you taste it. Between the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and capers the salt level is already at a pretty good pitch. (If you like heat, add some red pepper flakes.)

The Mescolanza coming together.

The pasta was just shy of al dente, so it was the perfect time to add it to the eggplant pan and combine.  And a little of the pasta water helps binds it altogether.

As I mentioned I had a ton of feta so that is what I topped this dish with.  However, goat cheese would be great too. This dish has an very earthy flavor to it.  Not for the shy at heart since all those flavors pack a punch.  When you are starving with but one fresh element to work with, pull from your reserves and create your own Pasta Mescolanza.  Perfect for Monday or any day.  

Below are the rough amounts for this dish.  Honestly, I would have never measured a single item for this creation, as a true something from nothing creation is all about whatever you have in whatever amount you have. But I did want to give you a guide, so below is what I used.  This only took 15 minutes to pull together and my stomach was as happy as any Italian could be.

ingredients

1/2 lb pasta
1/4 c approx. Baby eggplant, cubed
1/3 c sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c black oil cured olives, chopped
1/4 c shallots, minced
1 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 t capers
Olive oil
Feta or goat cheese, amount to be determined by you

While writing this post, I ate the whole bowl and forced myself to stay in my office so as not to go back for a refill. The two things I would do differently.  Mince or thinly slice the garlic, and add fresh parsley or basil if I had any. Also, I ate the leftovers the next day and used creamy goat cheese.  I must admit that I prefer that over the feta as it mellows out the intense flavors of all the other ingredients and creates a creaminess to the dish.  A Mangiare!!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Yes, these vibrant and delicious wonders make the perfect appetizer. They are red pockets of yum. But fair warning, these are not entirely my recipe.  The Spanish are famous for stuffing piquillo peppers, and goat cheese is one of the most popular fillings. I made some alterations to the stuffing to create my own version plus added a little dressing to coat them.  

Courtesy of Specialtyproduce.com

What is a Piquillo you ask?  And that would be a good question because it looks just like a regular red pepper, and it is.  But these are a variety of chili peppers in the capsicum annuum family.  Although, this chili pepper is sweet and doesn't harbor any heat, much akin to a traditional red bell pepper.  They are grown in Northern Spain near the town of Lodosa, and have a real reason for being called piquillo.  Simple answer.  In Spanish it means "little beak" which is exactly what these look like due to their small size, making them ideal for stuffing.  If you used a traditional red bell pepper and stuffed it with goat cheese it would be quite the grotesque amount of filling. Unless you are a cheese monster in which case you would be in goat heaven.

(I use the Dantza brand whole piquillo peppers from Despaña.  The round can shown below was specifically designed by request of Despaña.  All of the peppers are selected for their size and packed by hand to ensure all peppers remain whole, as that is the key for a stuffing pepper. Some piquillos come in strips for other uses. )

Speaking of stuffing, because of their sweet and supple flavor they are compatible with so many stuffing options. You can create a stuffing out of anything you like really, but I like cheese. Whenever I have had a goat cheese stuffed piquillo in a restaurant I have found the straight up goat cheese to be a bit dense and just one flavor note. That is why I decided to create my own version combining goat cheese with whipped cream cheese, parsley and some lemon zest.  I also went another step and added a little dressing to pour over top.  I think it adds to the overall freshness of the dish as the acidity combines well with the peppers. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have some dressing to soak up with the piece of bread you serve alongside these.   Your guests can also place an entire pepper on the bread which aids in delivering this tasty bite directly into the mouth.  Which I highly recommend.

These aren't hard to make, just a few ingredients.  They can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to dress and serve. The only slightly slippery part of assembling these is filling them.

Goat cheese, whipped cream cheese, parsley, lemon, shallot, and of course, the star, piquillo peppers. I buy mine from Despaña.  

ingredients

yields approx. 25 peppers

16.6 oz can whole piquillo peppers        
10.5 oz goat cheese log           
8 oz. whipped cream cheese        
1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh parsley        
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest                  
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper  

 

Dressing
1/3 c Oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 full tbsp shallots, minced
splash of lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Basil to garnish, optional

The mixture: goat cheese, whipped cream cheese, chopped parsley and lemon zest, salt.

To aid in the filling, I use a piping bag.  I use piping bags for a lot of things.  It just makes it easier, especially for this recipe since the filling is too dense to spoon in. Plus if you use a decorative tip, you can create a lovely little flourish at the top of the pepper. Isn't that special. Sometimes it's the little things that mark the difference, and it doesn't take any more effort than if you didn't use a decorative tip.

The easiest way to stuffing anything... a piping bag!!

instructions

• When using these or any roasted peppers often times there are seeds.  Try to remove as many as possible being as careful as possible since the peppers are delicate. 
• Using a hand mixer, whip the goat cheese, cream cheese together, then add the parsley and lemon zest. You can also add shallots to this mixture, as I have done in the past.
• Fill the piping with the cheese mixture and using a wide tip, begin filling each pepper.
• Place them on a decorative serving platter.  If serving immediately, then drizzle the dressing over top.  If you are making them ahead of time, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then dress them before serving. These should be served at room temperature so remove them from the fridge 1/2 hour prior.

You can also stuff these with cod, or a mixture of tuna and piquillo blended together to create a mousse.  Those are a few traditional ones to get you going.  I leave it up to you and your imagination to create some more. Whatever you choose, cheese, cod, tuna, spinach, etc these make the most vibrant and tasty appetizer platter that works all year long.  There are a thousand ways to use these peppers, many of which don't require stuffing them at all. I will have more recipes in the future with these delicious tiny red babies, so keep on the look out.

I recently served a bountiful platter alongside my homemade flatbreads at an outdoor dinner party. In the end, not a one was left.. of either.

Post note:  In the set up picture you may notice that I included endive. That is because you can also use fill the endive leaves with the goat cheese mixture and then lay a piquillo pepper on top.  In the coming weeks, I will be posting Endless Endive, which showcases several ways to serve them.

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Fabulous Flatbreads

Who doesn't love pizza? Who, I ask? What's better than that thin, crispy, yet somehow doughy flat wonder. My husband loves when I make pizza, but he also loves when I use pizza dough to make flatbreads. So in this post I am sharing how I take that perfect pizza dough and let it shine all on its own.  Yeah, you heard me right.  No fancy toppings needed here.  Just fire up the oven, hotter than hell and crisp that yeasty baby up.  This is one of the simplest ways to make a WOW at any party or in the hearts and stomachs of loved ones. I have a long list of stomachs who crave and howl for these.   And you will, too.

In the past, on occasion I have made my own dough.  And if you have the time, by all means knock yourself out and make it from scratch.   I will admit there is a certain marvel of watching flour, yeast and water bring on their magic.  But this is one of those moments when I shout out, "why reinvent the wheel?"  I say, let someone else do all the making and waiting, while I do the all the buying of their pizza dough. Find a good source for dough, then bring it home and still achieve something homemade. Now that is magic equal to yeast rising.

Resting, Growing, Waiting to be grilled to perfection.  Fresh oregano, chopped and ready to go.

I drizzle some oil on top of the dough, cover it with dish towels and let the dough rise a bit. (I try to leave it near the hot stove to help it along.) Once risen, move onto shaping.  Instead of rolling it out, I prefer to stretch it and let it make its own odd shapes.  I just feel this method makes it more rustic.  You can certainly rock the rolling pin if you are in need of perfectly formed breads.

I keep the next step simple.  It's all about the dough but I do like to enhance it slightly by sprinkling salt, pepper and depending on my mood, fresh or dried herbs or crushed garlic and followed by a drizzle of olive oil.   I use a pizza paddle sprinkled with cornmeal to deliver my Picasso shaped dough onto the stone.

I literally almost never make a perfect round circle. 

All the while the pizza stone has been readying itself in a piping hot 500 degree oven.  Once the doughs are ready for cooking I turn the oven to broil.   These bad boys cook in a heartbeat so don't you darn step away or it will go up in flames.  JuanCarlos likes his flatbreads super toasty... shall we say almost burnt, so I always make a few that way.  (And yes, maybe a few more than I would like, as I don't always heed my own warning about walking away from the oven.)

You can make these ahead of time, stack them up and cover with foil.  Then pop them back in a 250-300 degree oven for a few minutes to warm just before serving.  These flew out of the bread basket this past weekend.  (Truth be told, I didn't cut up all the ones I made to serve to our guests. I kept a few for JC to eat this week because he loves them so much. And I love him.  That's how to 2stir life with love.)

Stack 'em up because they are sure to disappear.  You might want more than one stack because after they are gone you will have wished you had.

The perfect bite.  Alone and unadulterated or used to scoop something up.

If you don't have a pizza stone, you can also achieve the similiar results using a cast iron pan.  I have even thrown these on the BBQ, but you need to make sure the grates are oiled or the dough will stick.  Give it a try.

Last Minute Table Setting - in Black & White x 2

One of my avid readers likes when I post table scape ideas for easy and casual entertaining.  As you know, I like setting a table.  For me, even the simplest addition of a placemat on a table calls your guests in and makes it feel special.

It just so happens that when this same avid reader, her husband, my sister and brother-in-law joined us for dinner one Saturday night last year I needed just such a casual table setting.  Why was I in such a pinch, you ask, knowing that I usually have everything planned out down to napkins for my parties?  Seven annoying letters… WEATHER. Originally, my intention was to entertain outdoors and I had that table setting prepped and ready to go. Yet the pesky, uncontrollable nature just didn't want to cooperate.  So direction change required a fast and simple solution for setting the table indoors.  I wanted to retain a casual feeling which was good because I didn’t have time to iron another full table setting. So what do you when you are out of time and need to readjust?

Pulling out some fast and easy willing participants.

Do the ole ‘throw a muslin fabric down the middle of the table’ trick.   Since this look does not require ironing it is one of the easiest solutions to 'no time for that!'  In fact, you sorta want those natural wrinkles.  However, without a full tablecloth you really need a landing spot for the place setting, otherwise a piece of wrinkled fabric in the middle of the table just looks like a mess.  I wanted to keep the theme neutral, so black placemats were a natural choice and kicked off the theme.

I like high contrast, as you have seen in some of my other settings (Yellow Burst of Sunshine, Creamiscle Tablescape).   What can be more high contrast than black and white? But that combo can sometimes be stark and harsh.  However, when you swap stark white for cream it transforms into chic and well, actually...creamy.  Consider the black and cream combo as getting back to basics. It can be the easy, go-to palette for a casual table setting that you can build upon, or amp it up to create a more formal setting. In this installment of how the table turns, I present two table settings using three of the same elements. I consider the first one featured to be a thrown together yet casual look that can be pulled off at the last minute. While the other is a tad, and I do mean tad bit more formal. 

In order to take this out of ho hum dull, the addition of a few muted nods of color was in order.  Remember, it was supposed to be an outdoor dinner party.

With the cream muslin tossed across and the black placemats down, some finishing touches were needed. I used two different napkins; one cream which tied in with the muslin runner and other a muted green/orange/pink/cream which picked up the colors of the mum floral centerpiece.  The reason for both types of napkins?  Simple. I didn't have enough of the colored ones and really wanted to use them giving way to the festive and not the hum drum. Plus there ain't nothing wrong with mixing and matching. From past blog posts on table settings, you know this mix and match part of me by now.  The fact is I love to combine different elements that play off of each other.  It just doesn't have to be that fussy, as long as it's nicely put together, you can achieve a cohesive look.  I think the trick to achieving that is when using the mix and match technique, just alternate the different elements and it looks planned... ah hum, as it was.

Note that I turned the placemat the opposite way of the traditional placement, allowing it to slightly hang over the table.  Creating more of a centered focus on the plate.

I used hand carved wooden napkin holders to add a bold statement, and just pulled the napkin through and allowing the bottom to fan out before placing it on the plate.  This method hides any wrinkles if need be. If you don't have napkin holders, simply place the napkin on the plate.  No biggie. Silverware in their proper positions, and white votive candles keep it casual yet welcoming.

You don't have to go nuts with the florals. Stay super simple by bunching together a single color pulled from the napkins and combine it with the neutral white, and voilà. Casual table for brunch, an afternoon meal or early supper. OR when the weather forces you to change the game plan. Mix and match your basics to create a laid back table setting.

Now, using the same basic elements; same white dinner plates, same black placemats, and cream napkins, create a setting of simple elegance. Just a few small changes create a subdued and refined table utilizing the black and cream theme.

• Simply swap out the wrinkled muslin for runner that makes a statement.  
• Keep the cream napkins but use all the same color, no mix or match for this version. This really aids in elevating the look in a subtle way.
• Place candlesticks down the table along with votives to create a warm and glowing centerpiece instead of flowers.

Napkins with a simple triangle form gently placed in the middle of the plate.  No napkin holders needed to create an elegant look.

Notice that the same black placemat as in the casual setting but these are positioned horizontally. 

And there you have it in black and white x 2. Well, creamy white.  One casual, one a bit more refined. Both easy approaches to welcome your guests to the table.  Whether you are serving hamburgers or foie gras, "Tutti a la tavola a mangiare!" (So says Lidia Bastianich)

Orzo Salad ala Greek

Fresh green salads are a no brainer for the summer.  They are refreshing, crisp and light, as a summer salad should be.  Yet sometimes you may want all of that in a salad but need a tad more substance.  This is when pasta takes its cue and comes to the rescue. (In my opinion, pasta answers any of my rescue calls. It's my lifesaver. Literally and figuratively!)  
This Orzo Pasta Salad with a nod to Greece, is an oldie but goodie.  As with some of my archive recipes, I made them a lot in the past but then just moved on.  Or so I thought.  Come to find out that both my sisters, Alyssa and Jill, have continued to make this particular recipe throughout the years.   Which gives me smiles.  What gives them smiles is when I have to call them so THEY can remind me how I originally told them to make it.  Who cares how we get our smiles, as long as we are smiling.

First, allow me to enumerate on the many great aspects of this dish.  

• First, it's easy, and that is a huge plus. Good food doesn't have to be complicated or a royal pain in the...
• Second, since it uses orzo, the pasta component isn't too heavy yet it satisfies superbly.  How perfectly is that!
• Third, it contains crunchy vegetables. This is two fold good because we all need our veggies and they provide another textural element.
• Fourth, it packs a ton of flavor.  

Geez, I could keep on keeping on, but do I really need to?   Trust me, it's good.  So let's get down to brass tacks and assemble this one up.  I say ala Greek because the ingredients are similar to a Greek Salad just no lettuce but instead a tooth bite of orzo.  

Ingredients

(Yields approx. 5 cups)

1 lb. box Orzo, cooked
1 c English cucumber, seeds removed, small dice
1/3-2/3 c Calamata olives, chopped
1.5 - 2 c red, orange, yellow pepper, small dice
1/4 c scallions, sliced
1/3 heaping c red onion, small dice
2/3 c fresh basil, chiffonade
2/3 - 3/4 c Feta cheese, crumbled

The line up

Alright, let me continue with the plusses on this salad. You can prep everything the day before if you wanted to. Just place the chopped vegetables in an airtight container.  You could even cook the orzo if you wanted to. Just add some oil to keep it from sticking together.  Heck, you can make the salad a day ahead of time. Just add the feta before serving.  I told you I could go on and on about the pros to this salad.  

Instructions

Cook the orzo according to the package.  I like mine, as with all my pastas, al dente.  While the orzo is cooking chop the vegetables and olives as suggested above.   Let the orzo cool a bit, then toss it together with vegetables and olives. 

Orzo, the perfect little pasta.  This time it's starring in a salad.  But try it in soups. Che buono!

When cutting up vegetables, I usually like to slice them up in different sizes to create varying textures and shapes. However, with this salad I would recommend cutting everything in relatively the same size.  It creates an balanced salad, a balanced bite as well as makes it easy to eat. 

This time the veggies are conforming to one size, but they don't mind.  

Once you have everything cut, combine with the orzo.  Then move onto mixing up the dressing.

Vibrant, fresh colors of summer.

Whisk up or mix up in a jar, and dress the salad up.

Dressing

2/3 c Olive oil
1/4 c Red Wine Vinegar
1 t dried oregano
2 heaping t salt
1/2 t crushed black pepper
2 t fresh lemon juice
Zest of lemon, optional

Whisk together and pour over the salad.  I do like to add the dressing when the orzo is slightly warm.  The pasta tends to absorb even more of the flavor.  Once combined, add most of feta cheese and chopped basil leaves.

Leave some so you can adorn the top of the salad with more feta and basil, and serve.  This salad is best at room temp.  But I have eaten it right out of the refrigerator. (Actually, standing in the refrig, spoon in hand and gobbling it right out of the container.)

Versatile and vibrant little summer pasta salad that goes with everything.  It's great for a midweek meal using any leftovers for lunch the next day. (That is if you have any leftovers).  Add a base of mixed greens and pile some pasta salad on top. And of course,  this dandy of a dish is simply divine for a summer BBQ crowd.  I even brought a batch into the staff at Despaña and it got all smiles all around.  Like I said, pasta to the rescue.

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