Rotini Primavera

This is another of my "old" recipes. I invented it because I was dating a vegeterian at the time, and I needed lots of tasty vegeterian recipes with which to impress her. Ultimately I managed to convince her to start eating meat (and to marry me).

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Rotini Primavera

8 oz. (1/2 pkg.) dry vegetable rotini pasta
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 medium zuccini, sliced
1 C. fresh broccoli tops
1/2 C. frozen English peas
1/2 C. chopped carrots
1/2 C. frozen sweet corn kernels
2 T. parsley
1 t. oregano
1 t. thyme
1 t. sweet basil

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender.

While pasta is boiling, heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet and add the garlic and onion. Cook until garlic is browned, then add remaining ingredients (and salt and pepper to taste). Stir well, then cover and allow to steam for 5-10 minutes or until broccoli is almost tender. Remove vegetables from skillet, set burner to LOW.

Garlic butter sauce:

1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. white wine
2 T. cornstarch
1 T. melted butter
1 T. cream cheese
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 C. grated Parmesian cheese

Wisk the milk, white wine, and cornstarch together, and pour into the hot skillet. Stir quickly with a wire wisk until a smooth, thick sauce forms. Stir in the butter, cream cheese, garlic, pepper, and Parmesian. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a smooth sauce forms (if the mixture becomes too thick, add a little more milk.)

Toss pasta, vegetables, and garlic butter sauce together in a large glass bowl, serve immediately with hot bread and a glass of white wine...I recommend Pinot Grigo.

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VARIATIONS:
This vegetarian dish can be made vegan (and non-dairy) by skipping the garlic butter sauce and using your favorite herb-flavored olive oil instead.
Likewise, adding a grilled breast of chicken can make an excellent dish for the rest of us...in which case, I recommend Chardonnay.

Pene Tapenade

I don't remember where this recipe came from, exactly...I dug it out of a magazine or something back when Toni and I started dating, and loved it so much I kept it. It's one of my best vegeterian recipes...even us carnivores seem to dig it.

Pene Tapenade

1 C (packed) Fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
1 C (packed) Fresh parsley, rinsed and dried
2 T. olive oil
2 T. lime juice
3 cloves garlic
1/4 C chopped onion
1 can small pitted black olives, drained
1/2 C fresh grated Romano cheese
Pene pasta

Boil pasta until almost tender, do not drain. Set aside.

Place herbs, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and onion in a blender. Process until a smooth green paste forms, using a wooden spoon as necessary.

Drain pasta, place in large glass bowl. Pour herb paste over pasta, add olives and cheese, then toss until all ingredients are evenly coated. Serve immediately with garlic bread and white wine (I recommend chardonnay).

VARIATIONS:
This recipe will work great with just about any type of pasta. Try it with rotini, tortellini, bowties, or even fettuccini.

Tex-Mex at Its Finest

I cooked this up last night, and was surprised at how well it turned out. Fresh chili, topped with fresh cornbread? How could it possibly fail?

Trav's Chili Pot Pie

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 pkg. William's chili seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 can chopped green chili peppers
3/4 C. tomato juice
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 C. corn meal
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 T. sugar
1 large egg
2 T. melted butter or margarine
1 C. milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brown the ground beef in a cast-iron skillet. Drain. Add the chili seasoning, tomatoes, beans, corn, chili peppers, and tomato juice. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and slightly thickened. Remove from heat, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top, and set aside.

Sift together the corn meal, flour, salt, and sugar. Add the egg, melted butter, and milk, and stir until smooth. Pour the batter evenly over the top of the chili, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve with your favorite condiments (diced tomato, onion, sour cream, picante sauce, corn relish, black olives...) and some ice-cold beer.

VARIATIONS:

If you are in a hurry, or if you think think you can't cook, or if you just don't want to spend a lot of time making dinner, I present the:

Fast & Easy Chili Pot Pie:

2 cans of your favorite chili
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained
1 can chopped green chili peppers
1 C. shredded cheese
1 pkg. of your favorite cornbread mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the chili, corn, tomatoes, and peppers together in a cast iron skillet until bubbly. Prepare the cornbread mix according to the package directions. Sprinkle the cheese over the chilli, and then pour the cornbread mix evenly over the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned on top.

Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve with all of your favorite condiments.

Cookies N Cream Fudge

A few years ago, I decided to make a batch of fudge. But I didn't want the usual brown sugary mass of chocolate with waxy chunks of walnut suspended inside; I wanted something creamy and smooth and...well, not like fudge.

So I made a few substitutions. Instead of the semi-sweet morsels that my fudge recipe recommended, I grabbed white chocolate instead. And in place of the chopped walnuts, I used crushed Oreo cookies.

The result was so good, we wrote songs about it. If you love fudge, but are bored with the traditional recipe, give this one a shot.

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Cookies -n- Cream Fudge

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 pkg. white chocolate chips
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cup crushed Oreo cookies
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
wax paper

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate and sweetened condensed milk together until smooth. Stir in the crushed cookies, vanilla, and slivered almonds, and mix well. Spread evenly into a 9x9 cake pan that has been lined with waxed paper, and allow to cool completely. Cut into 1-inch cubes, and store in airtight containers.

Makes about 1 pound of fudge.

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VARIATIONS:
This is a generic fudge recipe, that can make just about any flavor or combination you want. Try these variations:

CHOCOLATE FUDGE (The "parent" recipe from which all of these are derived): Use semi-sweet chocolate morsels instead of white chocolate, and use walnuts instead of cookies and almonds.

BUTTERSCOTCH FUDGE: Use butterscotch morsels and slivered almonds instead of cookies, and line the cake pan with graham crackers before pouring the fudge.

CAPPUCCINO FUDGE: Dissolve 1 T. instant coffee in 1 T. water and add to the recipe. Omit the cookies, and use crushed biscotti instead.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE: Use peanut butter morsels instead of white chocolate, but keep the Oreo cookies. Use peanuts instead of almonds.

ROCKY ROAD FUDGE: Use chocolate morsels, add marshmallows and walnuts and crushed Butterfinger candy.

Horrible Name, Delicious Pie

Here is a recipe for the classic Southern dessert, the Shoo-Fly Pie. It is a molasses-and-sugar confection with lots of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. There is no fruit in it, and contrary to the name, no winged insects either.

Shoo-fly Pie

1/3 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1 C all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1 C molasses
1 C boiling water
1 egg, beaten
1 t. baking soda
1 unbaked 9" deep-dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and spices. Cut in the butter until the mixture has the consistency of coarse sand. Set aside.

In a large bowl, blend the molasses with the boiling water. Add the beaten egg, mix well, and add the baking soda. (The mixture will foam up, keep stirring until the foam disperses.)

Pour the molasses mixture into the pie shell. Spoon the flour-sugar mixture evenly over the top of the molasses mixture. Put the pie shell on a foil-lined cookie sheet, and bake on the center rack of the oven for 40 minutes, or until dark brown and medium-set.

Serve warm or chilled. Serves 8.