Linguine with Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Olives & Spinach

Hello fellow pasta lovers.  I know I have been neglecting you. Believe me when I tell you that it is not from a lack of making pasta. Quite the contrary. I make and eat pasta. (Gluten free now) Maybe not as often as before when I used to eat it every day.  Yeah, you read that correctly.  EVERY DAY. Oh the glory years.  Every day requires a lot of invention. Which meant I needed to come up with a variety of combinations to swirl, toss and top my pasta.  This is the very essence of the 'something from nothing' style, and how I pretty much make every pasta dish. Which leaves you wondering why the hell I'm not posting them given that it is the literal building block of my blog. Oh the irony.  Quite frankly, these dishes, although delicious, didn't seem like such revolutionary ideas, nor ones you wouldn't have thought up yourselves.  But maybe not. So, if it's pasta you want, it's pasta you get.  Who I am to deny anyone from eating pasta? I'm not crazy.

This combo literally was a throw it together dish from last week.  I was spending time with my niece Gianna before she headed back to college, my alma mater Binghamton University. Our afternoon of shopping ended right at the dinner hour and we were hungry.  We first thought of grabbing a bite at some local restaurant, but Gianna being every thoughtful and dollar conscious, said why spend money.  After mentioning that I didn't have a ton to choose from at home, save pasta, her answer: "Well, I would never turn down pasta."  And this why she is my goddaughter.  Like minds.

Here we go with the old open the fridge and see what we have...

Container of oven roasted tomatoes

Moroccan oil cured black olives

Baby spinach

That's all we needed to make a pasta that had some real depth of flavor.

Ingredients

1 lb. linguine (I used Tinkyada gluten free)
3.5 c oven roasted tomatoes
1/2c approx. roasting oil & juices from the tomatoes
1/3 c Moroccan oli cured olives, rough chop
4 c baby spinach, rough chop
1/2 med. yellow onion, diced (approx. 2/3 c)
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Magic 3 (Olive Oil,  Salt, Pepper)

Moroccan Black Oil Cured Olives

Instructions

Dice the onions, slice the garlic, chop the olives. While the pasta is cooking, sauté the onions and garlic until just softened. Add the olives and stir to combine. 

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Add the tomatoes plus their roasting oil and spinach and let cook until spinach is wilted and everything is warmed through.  Season to taste. (Note that the olives add a salty flavor so go light handed when adding salt.  TASTE, taste, taste.)

Once pasta is al dente, transfer it to the sauce pan and combine all together letting it cook the last minute in the sauce.  Top with grated cheese.

The sweetness from the tomatoes, the salty, earthy flavor from the olives and the bite of spinach. There really is no need for me to tell you that this was yummy.  Trust me, it was.  So much so, I made it again when my sis, Jill came for her weekly visit.  Pasta NEVER disappoints. It really does provide a double dose of love.

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When the Carrot Met the Eggplant

Eggplant Parmigiana is a super delish dish but it’s not one that you can whip up for a weeknight meal. Carrots sautéed in butter; sure those are yummy too, but how many times have you had them that way? Finding myself left with just these two vegetables, and not grooving on making either of the aforementioned standards, I wondered if these two might enjoy waltzing together on a dance floor of balsamic syrup.
 
Now, you may think that sounds fancy and hard.  Stop, wait, remember; it’s me. The Something from Nothing - Make It Simple chick.  
 
Some tips for this prep:
❖ Remember to cook the carrots so they are caramelized soft but still with a nice bite.  
❖ Eggplant can get mushy but don’t let it go that route.  You almost want to sear the outside and keep the inside al dente.
❖ Texture is important. I like the way the two textures work off one another.
❖ I cut the carrots on the diagonal, then give a quarter turn to the carrot and cut another cube. I keep quarter turning and cutting giving the carrots a multi-faceted edge.  I learned this technique many moons ago from a guest on one of Martha Stewart's show.  Her method was inspired by Japanese tradition, but I adopted this method and have been cutting my carrots this way ever since.  No major reason, other than there are more surface areas for caramelizing and absorbing flavors. Plus, I just like it.

Carrots cut by quarter turn method

Balsamic Glazed Caramelized Carrot & Eggplant Sauté

INGREDIENTS

2.5 c carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
1/2 c onion, thinly sliced
4 c (1 med or 2 sm Italian eggplant, cut into cubes (I leave the skins on, but you are welcome to remove if you don't like the texture)
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 T honey
Oil, salt, pepper

 

 

 

 

 

Directions

In a large sauté pan, caramelize the onion.  In the meantime, in a roasting pan, drizzle the carrots with oil to coat, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast the carrots until they are caramelize.  

(I like the flavor when oven roasting the carrots. Plus while are roasting, you can be cooking the onions and eggplant. However, If you prefer to do this in all in one pan, you can. Simply add enough water to the pan and steam the carrots until water evaporates. Add oil and let cook over medium low heat until nicely tender. Set aside and continue the rest of the recipe.)

While the carrots are cooking by your preferred method, begin sautéing the onion until soft then add the eggplant cubes. Add more oil as needed to soften eggplant until tender but not mushy.  You want to get a nice sear on the eggplant.  

Once cooked, remove the eggplant/onion mixture and set aside.  Add the balsamic vinegar and honey to the same pan and over low heat, reduce until it thickens.  Then add the carrots, eggplant/onions back to the pan and stir to combine. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Here’s to introducing the carrot to the eggplant by way of syrup.  Who doesn’t get along with a little sweetness?

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Post note: The next night I made baby fingerling potatoes and stirred them lovingly together with the carrots and eggplant. It was hearty and they all waltzed nicely on a dance floor of balsamic sweetness.

Leek, Onion & Fennel Tart - Gluten & Egg Free

My memory must be fading... like a distant memory.  I can't recall what exactly prompted me to make up this tart. It might have been that I was craving a tart-like something, or maybe I saw a quiche and had slice envy.  All I remember is a deep desire to eat crust. The solution for when you have a hankering for something?  Go shopping.

It's been stated that you should never shop when you are hungry but I was on a mission, which helped keep this buying event to a minimum.  I was lucky enough to find a gluten free tart shell that didn't have a lot of crap in it. Happiness in the frozen section propelled me with glee back to the produce isle. 

There I found leeks and fennel which were looking fresh and seemed like a fine fit for my crust craving creation. I knew I had onions and goat cheese (which apparently are in endless supply in my house).  Last item needed to make myself a luscious tart that would halt my hankering for quiche was cream. I don't eat eggs.  Pity me.  Yes, pity me because I love eggs and they are in EVERYTHING. But alas, eggs don't love me.  An epic unrequited love story.

Since no eggs, no quiche.  No problem. This tart was going to kick the butt of any egg laced tart dish. 
And yes, although this is gluten and egg free, I did not say calorie free.  So this one may not be my healthiest share but it might become a special favorite for when indulging is on your mind.

There aren't too many steps to this making this, minus a little slicing.  But you have to do that in most recipes, so stop any belly-aching. Homemade food does require a tad of effort.

Ingredients

Pie Crust 9" (I used Wholly Gluten Free)
4 c leeks, sliced and thoroughly washed
1 heaping c onions, sliced
1 heaping c fennel, sliced
4 oz. goat cheese
1 c heavy cream
fresh thyme, optional
1 T butter
Magic 3 (Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper)

The onion family ready to be tarted.

Instructions

Using a fork, pierce holes in the bottom and sides of the crust.  Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown.  Set aside.

Prep the crust by making fork holes to prevent from bubbling up.

Perfectly pre-baked crust

While the crust is baking, slice the leeks and soak them in water. Removing and rinsing several times.  (Leeks are laden with sand and you want to ensure there isn't a grain left.  When changing the water, remove the leeks from the water using a strainer or big slotted spatula as opposed to dumping the water and leeks into a strainer.  If you do the latter, all the sand will go right back through the leeks.  By removing the leeks, the sand stays at the bottom of the water. Then just dump and refill with fresh water. )

Wash, soak, dump water. Wash, soak and dump again. Do this until no more sand appears at the bottom of the bowl.

While the leeks are soaking, slice the onions and fennel.  Once all vegetables are ready, sauté in butter and oil, seasoning with salt and pepper.  If you decide to use the fresh thyme, add it now. Cook these until fully caramelized. 

Onion slices

Fennel slices

The best combo. Butter and Oil

All veggies in: fennel, onions, leeks

Sauté slowly until they are completely broken down and beautifully caramelized.

Now with all the items ready, fill the pie crust with the vegetable mixture, top with tons of goat cheese and pour in the cream. You can also just mix all these ingredients together in a bowl and then fill the pie.  Your choice.  I didn't mix it because I envisioned the pie I saw layers in my head.  Silly me, it truly makes no difference.

Vegetable mixture, goat cheese, heavy cream and crust waiting to join forces.

Fill the bottom with the sautéd vegetable mixture. (Or you can mix the veggies with the cream and goat cheese and then pour in.)

Lots of cheese and creamy goodness tops this tart off.

Place the pie in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until center stops wiggling and when tested with a toothpick it comes out clean.

Let it cool slightly to allow it to set.  You can serve it warm, at room temp or even cold.  Slice and pair it up with a soup or salad.  This is ideal for brunch, lunch or dinner side dish.  I made it when my friend, Emilce came for an overnight stay.  We both had a slice, leaving the rest of the pie all to myself for days.  Bliss!

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Grilled Romaine & Blue Cheese Salad with Warm Vinaigrette

It's a frigid, white winter, so who feels like eating salad?  Not me, Answered everyone.

But getting your greens even in wintertime is essential. The inspiration for this salad came by way of my muse, AKA my sister Jill, who loves herself a good Wedge Salad and who would be joining us for dinner that night.  I only had a few ingredients to work with but all the ones she loves; lettuce, onions and blue cheese.  So I got thinking about how to bring in the warmth because it was way too nippy for a cold, crisp salad, and no way was iceberg lettuce entering my house.  I hate to be snooty but well, I am.  If you are going to make the effort to eat lettuce go one step further and buy one with actual nutrients.  (Let me just clarify my sister's iceberg indulgence.  She doesn't buy that kind of lettuce, but does enjoy ordering that Wedge thing in a restaurant. Guilty pleasure.)

As I step down off my soapbox, I'm here to confess that grilling lettuce is not my usual thing.  I have tried grilling radicchio and have found that it often increases the bitterness.  A bit too much bite for me.  But like I mentioned, we needed to eat salad of sorts and ingesting a cold dish was not in the cards.  So I harkened back to my idea of combining temperatures in a salad, only this time the actual lettuce was the one providing the hot.  I was also inspired to share this recipe since one of my readers told me that she was making my recipe for Salad: Hot & Cold to bring to a New Year's Eve party.  How great was that! My own little new year's cheer.

So here's my take on a Wedge Salad but one that warms your tummy and delivers more that just empty calories.

Ingredients
 

(Serves 4 as a side or 2 main)

2 Hearts of Romaine
2 scallions, sliced
3/4 c Blue cheese of your choice
2 small yellow onions, sliced
bacon, optional

For the dressing
1/3 c shallots, fine dice
1/3 c  olive oil
3 T fresh lemon juice
lemon zest

First things first, get the slices of onion, seasoned with salt, pepper and drizzle of oil in a 400 degree oven. Let them get really roasted to bring out the earthy flavor.

While the onions are in the oven, begin making the warm vinaigrette by sautéing the shallots in 2 T of oil.  Once softened, season with salt and pepper and add the remaining oil and heat slowly over a low flame.  Remove from heat and right before serving whisk in the lemon juice.

Cut the whole heads of romaine right down the middle keeping the core so they stay in tact.  Season with salt, pepper and oil and place them cut side down on the grill.  These will not take long. You only want to get some grill marks and warm them up, not completely cook or wilt them.

All that is left to do is plate your salad.  On one platter, place the grilled romaine cut side up, top with the onions, sprinkle the slices scallions and dot with the lots cubes of blue cheese.  Jill and I agreed that more cheese the merrier we were.  Drizzle the warm dressing over top.

Hearty bean, potato and escarole soup similar style to my Kale, Potato soup, recipe below

So with a few ingredients roasted, grilled and warmed up you too can cozy up to a salad in the winter without chilling your insides.  Serve this, as I did,  with a hearty bean and escarole soup and kick the chill to the curb.  (Sure I could have amped this up by pouring my homemade blue cheese dressing on it, but thought we would keep the calorie count down. Maybe not so much for Jill, but for me.)

A few other recipes that are warm and would snuggle up nicely to this salad.

Kale, Potato, Lentil Soup
Loaded Potato - Healthy Style
Polenta Stuffed Peppers
Meaty Ragu

Now that my fears of grilling lettuce are over, maybe I'll give radicchio another chance to prove herself.

Happy Wintertime Grilling.

Ciao 2017 - A Year that Warmed My Heart

Another year.  Another 365 days of "what did I do with all that time?"  I do recall many moons ago an older person said to me that time goes by faster when you are older.  I didn't quite get it, but now that I am older, I see that it is true.  But I still don't get it. Time flies by quicker now. But how? But why?  Is it because as adults we wish for the weekends to come so we can have some rest? Only to find out that we have cleaning and laundry, errands and bills to attend to.  Is that why time blows past us?  Who knows, except, here it is the end of 2017 and I am still wondering what happened to March!!  What have I done with all that time?

I have accomplished some things but will readily admit that I wasted too much time.  2018 will be about making more of each moment. Well, that was the goal of 2017, so wish me luck... again.

As the year comes to a close some of you will host big parties.  Great.  But if you are like me, and don't make such a huge deal out of New Year's Eve, or feel pressure to do something, or maybe you feel sad because nothing special is happening.   Please remember it's just another night like the one before it and the one after it.  You can choose to how to honor it or not. You can use it to ump start a fresh beginning. But if you don't have big plans, so what.  You can do what JC and I like to do.  Sit quietly, rejoice in what we have now and make a list of our wishes  for the coming year. Without pressure but just gentle reminders of what we would like to reach for.

As we wrap this year, that was filled with tons of emotion for most of us, let me share some moments of just how lovely a year can be.  (Lots of photos, so keep scrolling for another message from me.)

January
Shared time with my sister Jill and nieces, Nikki and Gabrielle, as we cooked together making the original "something from nothing" recipe, Zucchini Orzo Pie and an old family tradition, stuffed breads.

February
Starting the month with an invite from our family friends, the Marzullos, to kick start a month of eating well.
Celebrated my birthday with my parents in Miami showing them cool restaurants for them to visit, like Prohibition. Then back home to celebrate another Pisces birthday with my 'niece', Lauren, serving up a traditional Spanish tapas lunch.

March
Stirring it with love with Gabrielle at her workplace, Traditions, in Charlotte, NC promoting my Think...then Jump™ children's book series and reading to the kids. Back home, taking in nature with a walk through our favorite local spot, Rockefeller Park.

April
Another trip to Italy, because... Well, it's Italy and you can never get enough. And let's not forget this is the land of beauty, love and of course...pasta.  All things I hold dear.

My own fresh pasta made in the Tuscan Hills.  Recipe here

My hubby, falling in love with Cortona in the Tuscan region of Italy.

May
JC's birthday, celebrated as usual with good food and wine.

Cucumber, radish, mint salad

Roasted pork loin

Roasted fennel, peppers, onions

June
A full month of gatherings with family and friends, both in NY and Miami.  

Us and the Nardolillo Family.  Finally, after many dates were thrown around, we found one in June!

Always love visiting Miami for sun and the warming of my soul.

Miami gang,  Marta and Me with JC to celebrate Emilce's Birthday.

Krista and Me.  I babysat for her.  Yes, I did and now she is getting married!

July
Spent the 4th sharing good times, good food and good fun with dear friends Emily and Lorne at their Bay home.

Rocked a successful event aboard a NYC nighttime cruise that Despaña co-sponsored.  Boy, was I tired after that one.

A NYC visit from my bestie, Dominique, ending a perfect  girl's day with her daughter, Lauren.

Despaña Gang AKA Chicas Poderosas = Powerful Girls!

Dominique and Lauren. Don't you love those smiles!

August
Too many photos to even think about sharing from our trip to Northern Spain, but the highlight was spending time with our dear friends, Marcos and Angelica, at their home in Amieva, Asturias.

Amieva, a beautiful view

Marcos, Angelica and JC

Angelica and me

September
How do you celebrate fall with Cuban in-laws?  Roast a pig.
How do you celebrate a friend's birthday? Call and say "I'm coming over with food and cake!"

How do you celebrate a life? By honoring it with memories, laughter and love. Sharing as a family a most beautiful memorial to rejoice in life of my dear Aunt Catherine.

Porky the pig in La Caja China, the Chinese roasting box

I made a gluten free cake to celebrate Carl's birthday.

Alla familia

Aunt Catherine's favorite hat and her corn cob pipe.  No button nose here.

October
Thanks to my sis, Alys and Mastercard, we got to visit the Chiluly exhibit at the NY Botanical Gardens. 

Then had a wild production experience as Team Despaña, Angelica and Master Carver Jaume Guerra were slicing up jamón on The Untitled Action Bronson Show appearing on Viceland TV.

Angelica & Jaume showing how it's done.

Action Bronson checking out the jamón

November
NYC Marathon with my amazing sis, Alys.

Stats that make her cream of the crop.

Family support after 26.2 miles.  Ready for a meal.

December
That time of year when spending time with flour, butter and sugar is how I pass my time, baking up a storm. Thankfully, I had one brave soul to help me, my niece, Gianna to the rescue.

Gianna, directly home from college and before seeing friends, helped me make cookies... all day.

I also had to say ciao for now to my nephew, John, as he moved away to Colorado.

So as we close the books on 2017, I wish for you all the health and love life has to offer... And there is an abundance of it. There truly is no end to that well.  You can continue to tap it and unearth it's riches.

May you find the path you were searching for.

May the passions you dream of become realities.

May the struggles you have be released and resolved.

May good friends, good food find their way into your home.

May each day bring a wonderful mixture of laughter and smiles, inner peace and joy, satisfaction and accomplishment, confidence and strength.

May you step closer to knowing and loving your true self and rejoice in your essence.

I wish all these and so much more for you.

Happy New Year