Spaghetti with Black Pepper and Parmesan

I had the grandest of plans last night.

After a long day on the beach, we headed to Magnolia to what was advertised as a family-friendly farmers' and local foods market. When we arrived, we found one stall of a few vegetables, one seafood company selling hake and salmon, and a hodgepodge of local artisans whose wares and prices were anything but family friendly.

Where were the clams?! Where was the fresh asparagus?!

I needed to think fast, so we headed back to our house, stopped quickly at the local market for a loaf of fresh bread, and I thought for the remainder of the drive about this book I read on the way here. I had already blogged about it, vowing to cook my way through the book next year as my 2017 food challenge (and we all know Strega Nona quite well.) I grew up eating a version of it, and I've made it numerous times for my own kids (which is what they call "macaroni and cheese"). I knew I would have all of the ingredients on hand, so I ventured to give her version a try.

It did not disappoint. It was creamier than any version I grew up eating or had made myself, and the kids couldn't get enough of it. The only reason they didn't finish their plates was because they wanted to save some for lunch today. Here's my version based on what we had on hand at the house.

You need:

1 lb. thin spaghetti
1/4 c. Portuguese olive oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3 tsp. freshly ground lemon pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
salt, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste (the kids skipped this part)

Bring a large stock pot to boil, adding a good handful of salt to season the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic, cooking a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Add the lemon pepper and cook for another minute or so. Drain the pasta, setting aside a cup of the pasta water before you drain. Add the butter to the garlic and pepper, whisk in the pasta water, and then add the pasta. Sprinkle with the cheese and stir it all up together until you have a creamy mess of deliciousness. Serve hot with a little extra sprinkle of cheese on top and a shake or two of crushed red pepper, for those who can take the heat.

Classic Ratatouille

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe; he's often my go-to chef when I'd like a classic but hearty recipe inspired by some region of the world. He's truly a lover of food, as I am, and I have never been let down by one of his creations. This week, as I make room in the pantry and deep freeze for the incoming vegetable and fruit share on its way, I decided to give his ratatouille recipe a try. Ratatouille is a family favorite. It always makes so much, tastes delicious over a bowl of rice or with a side of crusty, homemade bread, and it's perfect for leftovers (the flavors simply blossom in the refrigerator). 

True to form, the recipe was a hit. And there's enough for an entire week of leftovers for lunch. 

You need:

2 red onions

4 cloves of garlic

2 eggplant

3 zucchini

3 red or yellow peppers

6 ripe tomatoes

½ a bunch of fresh basil

olive oil

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

1 23oz can of plum tomatoes ( I use pomodorini pelati)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ a lemon

Prep your ingredients before you start – peel and cut the onions into wedges, then peel and finely slice the garlic. Trim the aubergines and courgettes, deseed the peppers and chop into 2.5cm chunks. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely slice the stalks.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped aubergines, courgettes and peppers (you may need to do this in batches) and fry for around 5 minutes, or until golden and softened, but not cooked through. Spoon the veg into a large bowl.

To the pan, add the onion, garlic, basil stalks and thyme leaves with another drizzle of oil, if needed. Fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and golden. Return the cooked veg to the pan and stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes, the balsamic and a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Mix well, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until reduced, sticky and sweet. Tear in the basil leaves, finely grate in the lemon zest and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve with a hunk of bread or steamed rice.

Fresh Blueberry and White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies

I've spoken before about how much I dislike food waste, but my children have an absolute disdain of berries that are even slightly past their prime. This week, the blueberries were out of C's range of interest, and they were no good for freezing, so I thought I would turn them into Sunday's dessert instead. However, I wanted to go beyond the typical blueberry pie or blueberry bars, and when I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest, I knew it would be a winner.

These cookies are amazing. They are a bit more work than usual, for they require browning the butter and chilling the dough for at least two hours before baking. Be sure to set aside the extra time when you make them. However, they were heavenly. And they make a good 25 or so large cookies, so they'll last the week as special treats for lunch or with a side of this week's homemade strawberry ice cream.

You need:

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries

Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately and pour browned butter into a small bowl and set aside to cool. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well combined. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix. Slowly stir in white chocolate chips; remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in blueberries. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Scoop cookie dough with a large cookie scoop on to prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies until firm: 17-19 minutes or until edges are golden brown and blueberries have popped. Allow to cool before serving.