I made up this recipe like 10 years ago, and it never lets me down. It can vary a lot depending on what kind of feta you get--the French is creamy and mild, the Greek is salty, the Bulgarian (my favorite) is intense and goaty. I love the texture the feta creates when mixed with the chopped nuts and melts--a great coating for pasta. The subsequent times you make it, you can adjust the amount of cheese, nuts, mushrooms, or garlic to taste. It reheats incredibly well, and is good with a little extra olive oil and black pepper in the microwave.
Boil a large pot of water, big enough for a pound of pasta.
Saute a few cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
Dump a 6-oz jar of julienned sun dried tomatoes into the pan with the garlic, and save the olive oil the were marinating in.
Saute the tomatoes until slightly softened over medium heat.
Put 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of pine nuts in a mini chopper, or use a large knife to chop them until they are the consistency of course sand (if you do this in a chopper, it will turn into a paste like chunky peanut butter). Add this into the pan, and mix until blended. Add more olive oil from the tomato jar to keep moist but not oily.
Take 1/2 to 3/4 lb bulgarian (or other pungent) feta, and brake into pieces over the sauce. Mix to blend and cover until the cheese melts.
Add a medium or large container of sliced mushrooms, and a little oil. Mix until the mushrooms are coated with the sauce. Cover and turn heat down. Mix every minute or so, until the mushrooms are softened. Add oil as needed to keep from getting dry.
Keep on low heat while you add the pound of penne to the water. Cook as per the package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and put 2/3 of it back in the big pot, keeping the rest in the colander. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well over low heat. Add lots of course-ground fresh black pepper.
If there’s too much sauce, add more pasta and combine.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Seared lamb loin chops with shallot rosemary sauce
We used wine but I bet port would be even better. We didn't let the sauce thicken down enough, but it was still delicious and would make a great topping for mashed potatoes or whipped cauliflower.
Seared lamb loin chops with shallot rosemary sauce
From cooks.com
4 lamb loin chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small shallots, peeled, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup port wine or favorite red wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or rosemary, minced, or to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Pat the lamb chops dry and season with salt and pepper. In a skillet large enough to hold all 4 chops, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook until nicely browned on each side, about 3-4 minutes for each side for medium-rare.
2. Remove the chops from the skillet and place on platter. Tent with foil to keep them warm.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, broth and thyme. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook about 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, strain if desired, and whisk in the butter and any accumulated lamb chop juices on the platter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chops drizzled with desired amount of pan sauce.
Notes:
To make the sauce, use a heavy-bottom skillet that will hold the heat well. Sear and saute the meat or poultry until it is cooked to the desired doneness and remove it to a platter and keep warm.
Add your choice of liquids — wine or broth or both — to the pan, bring to a boil and stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks and should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you prefer a syrupy glaze, cook the liquids longer.
You can use almost any white or red wine, but make sure it's one that you like to drink. That way you won't waste what's left over.
Once you're done cooking the sauce, strain it if you like and finish it off by adding accumulated juices on the plate with the meat and whisking in cold butter pieces. The butter will thicken it a bit more and add richness.
If you still prefer a cream sauce, try using light cream or regular or fat-free half-and-half mixed with a little cornstarch; that will help it thicken nicely. Add these substitutes to the pan over medium heat. Don't bring to a full boil because the sauce will curdle or separate.
A good side dish match for these lamb loin chops is rice pilaf. I often use a boxed rice pilaf mix and add other ingredients once it's cooked. You can stir in golden raisins, chopped parsley and fresh snipped chives along with a drizzle of olive oil.
Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
400 calories (53 percent from fat), 24 grams fat (8 grams sat. fat), 7 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams protein, 133 mg sodium, 106 mg cholesterol, 26 mg calcium, 0 grams fiber.
Seared lamb loin chops with shallot rosemary sauce
From cooks.com
4 lamb loin chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small shallots, peeled, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup port wine or favorite red wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or rosemary, minced, or to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Pat the lamb chops dry and season with salt and pepper. In a skillet large enough to hold all 4 chops, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook until nicely browned on each side, about 3-4 minutes for each side for medium-rare.
2. Remove the chops from the skillet and place on platter. Tent with foil to keep them warm.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, broth and thyme. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook about 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, strain if desired, and whisk in the butter and any accumulated lamb chop juices on the platter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chops drizzled with desired amount of pan sauce.
Notes:
To make the sauce, use a heavy-bottom skillet that will hold the heat well. Sear and saute the meat or poultry until it is cooked to the desired doneness and remove it to a platter and keep warm.
Add your choice of liquids — wine or broth or both — to the pan, bring to a boil and stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks and should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you prefer a syrupy glaze, cook the liquids longer.
You can use almost any white or red wine, but make sure it's one that you like to drink. That way you won't waste what's left over.
Once you're done cooking the sauce, strain it if you like and finish it off by adding accumulated juices on the plate with the meat and whisking in cold butter pieces. The butter will thicken it a bit more and add richness.
If you still prefer a cream sauce, try using light cream or regular or fat-free half-and-half mixed with a little cornstarch; that will help it thicken nicely. Add these substitutes to the pan over medium heat. Don't bring to a full boil because the sauce will curdle or separate.
A good side dish match for these lamb loin chops is rice pilaf. I often use a boxed rice pilaf mix and add other ingredients once it's cooked. You can stir in golden raisins, chopped parsley and fresh snipped chives along with a drizzle of olive oil.
Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
400 calories (53 percent from fat), 24 grams fat (8 grams sat. fat), 7 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams protein, 133 mg sodium, 106 mg cholesterol, 26 mg calcium, 0 grams fiber.
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