by Technocook on February 22, 2010
My wife has a herb garden that make a great addition to these aromatic muffins and are a nice change from garlic bread when making pasta.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons dried basil, parsley or cilantro flakes
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
Making the Muffins:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cheese, sugar, Italian seasoning, basil, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk and oil.
- Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened
- Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full
- Bake at 400° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire cooling rack.
Makes 1 dozen.
by Technocook on February 21, 2010
Often there are a few techniques that make your cooking better and most of the time they are such simple and subtle techniques that they are often overlooked. Here are five that will help enhance the taste of your food.
1. Toasting nuts before using them in a recipe intensifies their flavor. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Be sure to watch them carefully so they don’t burn.
2. Fresh gingerroot can be used in your recipes and lasts for long time if you freeze it. It is also easy to peel and grate once it’s frozen.
3. When it comes to weather to add oil to the water when cooking pasta there are differing opinions. One group believes that adding olive or vegetable oil to the cooking water prevents the pasta from sticking together while cooking. It suggests adding 1 tablespoon of oil to 3 quarts of water for every 8 ounces of pasta cooked. The second school believes that the oily residue left on the pasta can cause the sauce to slide off the pasta, making it difficult to eat.
Cooking without oil is the more preferred method.
4. When cooking pasta and especially whole grain or whole wheat, the best time to salt the pasta is when it is in the water. Once dissolved in the boiling water, it permeates the pasta as the water is absorbed. A half teaspoon per gallon of water is a good starting point but should be adjusted to taste.
5. To substitute dried herbs for fresh, use one-third less. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon fresh, use 1 teaspoon dried. (hint: 3 teaspoons are in a tablespoon)
by Technocook on February 20, 2010
Italian seasoning can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. But you can
mix up your own.
Blend
- 1/4 teaspoon of basil
- 1/4 teaspoon of thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon of rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon of oregano
And there you have it. Italian seasoning. You can mix up larger batches of the seasoning by mixing equal amounts of all four spices and store in a cool dry place.
by Technocook on February 18, 2010
I love this cold salad. It can be made a very colorful by using the colored tortellini. Makes great presentation and taste.
Ingredients:
1 package (19 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini (Colored if you like)
1-1/2 cups julienned zucchini
1-1/2 cups julienned yellow summer squash
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup julienned sweet red pepper
1/2 cup sliced red onion, halved
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette
Making the Salad:
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, sauté the zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms in oil until
crisp-tender.
- Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper. Cook 1 minute longer or until garlic
is tender.
- Drain tortellini and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add the squash mixture, red pepper and onion.
- Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss to coat
- Serve immediately or refrigerate. Serve with a slotted spoon.
by Technocook on February 16, 2010
Great on a cold day. This is a zesty treat.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2/3 cup chopped onion
- 5 cups water
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 jar (14 ounces) pizza sauce
- 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 envelope au jus gravy mix
Putting it Together:
- In a Dutch oven, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and then drain.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Serve with a little fresh grated parmesan cheese.
by Technocook on February 15, 2010
This is a good cold side dish for a picnic or family dinner. You can also bring it in containers to a party or cover dish dinner and mix it at the last minute.
Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup toasted flaked coconut
4 cups chopped or torn salad greens
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, separated as described below
1 teaspoon canola oil
The Cooking:
- Cook pasta according to package directions
- While the pasta is cooking make the dressing by combining the cream,
confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and 1/2 cup strawberries in a blender or food processor
- cover and blend until smooth and slightly thickened, about 30 seconds.
- Drain the pasta and rinse in cold water.
- Place the pasta in a large bowl and add oil and toss to coat.
- Add coconut and the remaining strawberries
- Toss gently
- Place the greens in a serving bowl and top with pasta mixture
- Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with walnuts
Serve immediately.
by Technocook on November 26, 2009
There are still things to be thankful for in these hard times. This morning while preparing and cooking the Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing memories of my parents and the traditions that we had over the years kept coming to mind. There is a lot to be thankful for over the years. Every year writing a list of what I am thankful for is even more important as I grow older. Take some time and write a list of those things for which you are grateful. Here are my top 5.
1. For freedom – I am grateful for the men and women who bought and paid for that freedom. My Father being one of them.
2. For the ability to make changes in my life by making right decisions.
3. I am thankful for my wife and children.
4. For family. Good or bad, they are still family. I am who I am today because of my family and the experiences of my life. I am grateful for my Wife, Children and my Grandchildren.
5. For my job. In times where many are unemployed, I am grateful to still be employed. I pray for those who are not employed and for our economy to recover. Help those around us and things will get better.
Happy Thanksgiving
TechnoCook
by Technocook on November 11, 2009
A little twist on the clam sauce recipe posted earlier, this can spicy depending on the type of Italian Dressing you select.
Ingredients:
————
4 cans (6.5 oz. ea.) minced clams, undrained
1 cup Classic Olive Oil Italian Dressing
2 large tomatoes, chopped (You can substitute good chopped, canned tomatoes if you like)
1 cup sliced pitted olives (Kalamata adds a Mediterranean taste also)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Instructions:
————-
In large skillet, bring minced clams and Italian Dressing to a boil,
then boil one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in tomatoes,
olives, cheese and parsley.
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by Technocook on November 9, 2009
In some of the regions of Italy, they are near the sea and seafood is a large part of the local diet. You will find many different kinds of seafoods like clam in sauces. Here is a simple sauce that is not a cream based sauce.
Ingredients:
————
4 cans 6.5 oz minced clams
4 tbs olive oil
1-3 tsp minced garlic
2 tbs white wine
3/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp basil
salt to taste
Instructions:
————-
Drain clams and reserve the juice.
Sauté the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for about a minute.
Add wine, parsley, basil and the clam juice.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the clams and cook just
till heated through.
Add salt to taste.
Serve over cooked linguine or your favorite pasta.
by Technocook on November 3, 2009
A little seafood and chicken changes the sauce to a nice change for that
Ingredients:
————
1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
1/2 lb raw shrimp, shelled & deveined
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small green pepper, diced
1 small sweet red pepper, cut in strips
1 large (28oz) can whole Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes (more or less if you like)
1/4 tsp salt
oregano, marjoram & basil to taste (I use lots of spices)
Instructions:
————-
Sauté chicken and vegetables until chicken is firm and onions are
translucent.
Crush tomatoes lightly in your hands or food-processor and add to chicken & veggies with their liquid.
Simmer over low heat uncovered for 1/2 hour. Turn off heat, add the shrimp wait 10 minutes and serve over fettuccine or spaghetti.
The residual heat should cook the shrimp within 10 minutes. A dash of white wine when you add the shrimp adds a nice taste.
This is a thin sauce and won’t cling to the pasta! Ne sure NOT to rinse the pasta.
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