::foodstuffs::

I usually post recipes that I haven't tried and plan on trying but this time I will post another recipe {other then that potato roast one} that I have tried.

This particular one turned out absolutely delicious - a word of caution though; don't oversalt. The prosciutto di parma is salty in itself so don't overseason or it will be total overkill. Other then that everyone thought this dish was a hit. :)

I got this recipe from Nadia G's cookbook "Bitchin Kitchen" - lots of great recipes in that book and she has a pretty awesome show as well that you can find on the Food Network Canada channel or their website.

You guys should definitely try this recipe out - you won't be sorry!

Bon Appetit!

Papardelle with Baby Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms & Prosciutto di Parma

This elegant and flavourful dish from Nadia G. will shake up pasta night.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

400 grams Papardelle

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

baby asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/4 Thai chili, minced

2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

pinch brown sugar

pinch freshly cracked black pepper

Prosciutto di Parma, sliced into ribbons

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. Boil the papardelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Strain.

2. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan on medium. Add the smashed garlic to the pan and saute until golden and fragrant. Throw in the baby asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and Thai chili. Saute for 8 minutes or until veggies are tender but still crisp.

3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and season generously with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and brown sugar. Give it a good stir and then let the tomatoes sauce up for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix it up for a couple of minutes so that the flavors meld together. 

5. Serve topped with freshly-grated parmesan.

 This recipe definitely has a few things on the go but you won't be disappointed. It really was a great new spin on your typical pasta night. It was delicious! :)

-S.*

{Source: Food Network Canada / Nadia G's Cookbook}

::bowl:of:yum::

I found this recipe on purplefoodie.com and definitely have a yearning to try and see what it tastes like. It sure looks comforting and delicious so why not. So I credit this recipe and photo to http://www.purplefoodie.com/ - make sure to check the site out. Has a tun of great and interesting recipes.

Now I am thinking of substituting the farro for barley and it's up to you guys as to what you want to do. I am not sure what farro is exactly but it looks similiar to barley.

I don't often eat a lot of soup that isn't chicken noodle because I don't like the sound of leeks or chunks of celery or onion in my soups or stews but this one seems pretty safe in my books and it sounds hearty, healthy and soothing so I will definitely put this recipe in my list of "To Eat SOON!".

Bon Appetit!

Potato and Mushroom Farro Stew

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

250g / 9oz button mushrooms, sliced

2 large potatoes {about 250g / 9oz}, peeled and cubed

150g / 5oz farro, soaked overnight

3-4 cups of chicken stock {or water if you don't have any chicken stock}

a good handful of chopped mint leaves

Salt

Method:

In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook till translucent, and then add the garlic. Add the mushrooms, and saute until they are golden brown. Next, add the potatoes and farro and cook for another few minutes before pouring in the chicken stock.

Let this simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the grains of farro have splayed.

The farro should still be liquid-y when you serve it, so add stock accordingly.

Finally, stir in the chopped mint.

You can make this well ahead of time and then reheat it with more stock {since the grain wil absorb all the moisture they can}.

To be honest - I wasn't going to make this tonight but am now contemplating it. I am in the mood for some comfort albeit healthy food that will fill my tummy with warmth and yumminess. If I do try it I will be sure to let you guys know my thoughts on it.

-S.*

::style:queen::

I haven't seen much of Carrie Underwood out and about in paparazzi shots but I do know that she definitely delivers class and exquisite taste in fashion when she does events, concerts or red carpet.

Here is one of my favorite country singers.

Carrie Underwood.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  



-S.*

{Source: Various Carrie Underwood Fansites}

::comfort:food::

I have been so obsessed with this potato roast that I made that I am going to post up yet another potato recipe. :)

This one I found in the Festive 2010 Kraft Canada magazine called What's Cooking.

It looks really delicious in the picture and it seems fairly simple enough - it's another "bake" type dish. So enough babbling - here you go!

Bon Appetit!

Baked Rosti Potatoes

Prep: 15 minutes

Total: 1 hour 25 minutes

Makes: 8 servings

What You Need

2 tbsp. oil

2-1/2lbs Yukon gold potatoes {about 6} peeled and coarsely shredded

1-1/2 cups Kraft Double Cheddar Shredded Cheese

1/2 cup flour

1 small onion, grated

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 egg, beaten

Make It

Heat oven to 400F

Brush oil onto bottom and up sides of 13x9-inch baking dish. Combine all remaining ingredients except egg. Add egg; mix lightly. Press onto bottom of baking dish.

Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Make Ahead: Bake the potato-egg mixture ahead of time. Cool, then cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake, uncovered, in a 350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

This recipe sounds simple enough and less prep work then the roast which had me thinly slicing a billion potatoes.

I think I will give this recipe a try this weekend and let you guys know how it turns out. I am not sure what I would pair this with ~ any thoughts?

-S.*

::seafood:fare::

I remember the first time that I tried scallops - I was a little apprehensive at first. They just looked like a gelatinous blob...I found a recipe in one of Tyler Florence's cookbooks for a bacon-wrapped scallop. I decided to give it a shot and I am glad I did. It definitely was delicious and I could add another great recipe to my repertoire.

I love the fact that when you cook scallops with certain ingredients it takes on whatever taste you cook it with. So the bacon-wrapped recipe tasted entirely of bacon.

The only thing better then scallops that I have discovered are the little mini bay-scallops. I adore them! And they are so cute and little! I haven't had the chance to cook with them yet but I have had them in restaurants and I love the subtle meaty seafood texture it adds to meals - and once again, how it's infused with whatever ingredient you cook it with.

Now - I think I first might try these little mini scallops in a pasta of some sort but I did spot this recipe on the Martha Stewart site and it's definitely in my list of recipes to try out - and soon! You can also vary the cooking method to make it more healthy. Subbing for multigrain buns or baking the scallops. It all depends on what you want.

 So here is the recipe...enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

Bay-Scallop Po'Boy with Spicy Mayo

Prepare this New Orleans-style classic with record-breaking speed: Scallops are naturally moist, so you can skip the usual egg in the breading.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, for serving

3/4 teaspoon paprika

Hot sauce, to taste

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 pound bay scallops, patted dry

1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower

4 hot dog buns

4 lettuce leaves

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, teaspoon paprika, and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper. Set spicy mayo aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs, flour, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika; season with salt and pepper. Add scallops, and toss to coat.

3. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in two batches, fry scallops, tossing occasionally, until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer scallops to a paper-towel-lined plate; season with salt.

4. Dividing evenly, spread inside of buns with spicy mayo. Top with lettuce leaf, then scallops. Serve po boys immediately, with lemon wedges.

I seriously love seafood on buns and whatnot. Like fish sandwiches and whatnot so I am excited to try this out. Looks a bit messy but the mayo dressing sounds amazing; especially since I adore spicy food.

Give this a try - let me know what you think. :)

-S.*

::tastie:taties::

This recipe was amaaaaazing.

No joke.

First off - I found this recipe on the blog Smitten Kitchen and she had got it from the Martha Stewart website and I looooove anything and everything to do with my starchy companions. And this recipe just blew me out of the water.

I love the fact that it's not covered with fatty creams or milk or whatever and it is still absolutely heavenly and has the same comforting aspect as a cheesy gratin.

The only con of this recipe is that if you don't have a mandoline it is quite time consuming. I accidentally made more then what the recipe called for but that's alright because I ended up making little chips to snack on during the baking process {which took almost 2 hours}. But it was definitely well worth it and I am sure you can probably pair it with whatever you want. Last night I paired it with Buffalo-style shrimp and tonight I think it will be steamed fish. But you guys should definitely give this recipe a try and let me know what you think because I personally think it was out of this world and my boyfriend absolutely loved it as well. :)

Also - I used Yukon Gold potatoes and you should probably look for medium sized ones, I bought a bag and unfortunately I had a lot of little potatoes but it still worked out fabulously.

I also think that next time I will do it with rosemary instead of the thyme. I am not a huge fan of thyme but it was still really good.

Soooo here is the recipe!

Bon Appetit!

Crispy Potato Roast

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 2-1/4 hours

Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted/salted butter, melted

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 pounds russel potatoes, peeled

4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise

Coarse salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes {optional}
8 sprigs thyme

Directions

1. Prehead over to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise.

2. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes {if using}; brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1-1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

Cook's Note:

The thinner the potatoes are cut, the crispier they'll become in the oven. Keep the slices together as you cut them so that you can arrange them easily in the dish.

-S.*

{Source: Martha Stewart Website}