A RECIPE FRESH OFF THE BURNER!
Diane Potts Janowski, a former Bryan resident now living in the Cleveland area, shares recipes with me. She loves to cook and enjoys creating new dishes on her own. When she told me about making a pasta dish with any kind of leftover meat I was interested. When she e-mailed the recipe I couldn't wait to try it! I had Lavish Leftover Pasta for dinner tonight with a salad and it's yummy! It's more efficient to assemble and measure ingredients before you start making this stove-top entree. Diane says that although this is good served right away it's even better reheated in the microwave the next day. I hope you enjoy Diane's concoction as much as I did!
DIANE'S LAVISH LEFTOVER PASTA
- 6 ounces uncooked fusilli (I used Delallo brand whole wheat kind)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, turkey, veal or beef, cubed (I used rotisserie chicken)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 8-ounce package white or portabella mushrooms, sliced (I used white button mushrooms)
- 1 12-ounce jar Heinz Cream of Chicken Gravy (not regular chicken gravy)
- 1 cup milk (any percentage will do)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (I used Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base because it doesn't contain monosodium glutamate)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup Italian cheese blend (I used Kraft brand)
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh
- Grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley for top
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a Dutch oven, saute mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add chicken base to milk. Add gravy, milk mixture, rosemary, Italian seasoning, onion and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Add meat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 6 to 8 minutes until meat is heated through. Add shredded Italian and Parmesan cheeses. Stir and cook 1 minute or until cheeses are blended smoothly into sauce. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. Drain pasta and place in serving bowl. Top with meat mixture and toss. Garnish each serving with additional grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Recipe makes 4 hearty portions.
Source: Diane Potts Janowski, Cleveland, OH.
YOU ASKED ME
Q: What is edamame?
A: Edamame, pronounced eh-dah-MAH-meh) is the Japanese name for green soybeans. According to Connie Cahill, home economist for the Ohio Soybean Association, edamame is served out of shell in stir-fry dishes. They are also called Asian Peanuts and served as an appetizer. The shell is not eaten, only the beans in the pod. They are full of protein and Cahill says "yummy with just a dash of sea salt." Edamame is also available frozen.
Source: Connie Cahill, Columbus, and Food Lover's Companion, Third Edition, edited by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
FROM THE COOKBOOK SHLEF
After the holidays, people are looking to give themselves a break from cooking, but don't necessarily want to report to leftovers or take-out. Just in time, popular cookbook author
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and teacher Diane Phillips, The Diva OF Do-Ahead, brings us her new book, You've Got It Made: Deliciously Easy Meals To Make Now And Bake Later (January 2008, The Harvard Common Press). Full of high quality recipes that can be made ahead of time and then frozen or refrigerated, this book contains solutions for nights when you want a healthful home-cooked dinner but just don't have the time or energy to cook. Diane proves that with a little planning, it's possible to eat delicious, homemade meals any night of the week.
You've got it made features 150 creative recipes for casseroles, lasagnas, appetizers and sides, pot pies, strudels, souffles, breads, desserts and even hearty breakfasts, all of which can be prepped and assembled in advance, then baked as needed. Each recipe includes time-saving do ahead preparation and freezing and refrigerating tips, with a helpful guide to what foods can keep and for how long. These dishes are sure to become your go-to weeknight dinners!
Since someone just asked me how to cook a beef brisket roast, I decided to share Diane Phillip's recipe for Oven Barbecued Beef made with a 4 to 5-pound beef brisket.
OVEN-BARBECUED BEEF
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 flat 4-to 5 pound beef brisket
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
Make It Now
1. Heat oil over medium heat in 5 to 7-quart Dutch oven. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the beef and add to the Dutch oven. Brown the meat on each side, remove from pan and set aside. Add onions and garlic to pan and saute until the onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the ketchup, broth, tomato sauce, brown sugar, molasses, mustard and Tabasco sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the meat to the pan, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Remove meat from the sauce and let the broth cool. Trim any fat from the meat and thinly slice the meat against the grain at a 30 degree angle. Lay the meat in a 3-quart casserole dish or a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Bake It Later
1. Defrost the beef in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary. Remove any excess fat that may have congealed on the surface of the sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Allow the dish to come to room tem- perature for about 30 minutes.
3. Bake for 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is falling-apart-tender and sauce is thick.
4. Remove any accumulated fat from sauce and serve warm. Recipe makes 6 servings.
Source: You've Got It Made by Diane Phillips, January 2008, $14.95 paperback. |
