Mushroom Walnut Ravioli

Posted on May 2, 2016 by jacky grace

One of the things that’s really tough when it comes to city living is grocery shopping.

Whatever you buy you have to be able to carry home, because unlike the suburban dwellers, us city folk don’t have a car trunk to transport the cans of chick peas, boxes of pasta and gallons of milk.

This means a bit of strategizing goes into my grocery shopping ventures. I try not to buy milk and orange juice at the same time, or do a restock on canned goods when i need to buy eggs (can be utterly disastrous).

The other grocery conundrum is while there may be a fabulous deal on cereal or pancake mix, and while it is true that these things have a long shelf life and can be bought in large quantities, my itty bitty city kitchen cannot hold large quantities of anything.

So, what’s a city chef to do?

Well, I’ll tell you.

Start thinking about how you can buy just a few things and transform them into one or maybe even two fantastically flavorful meals. That’s exactly what this dinner is. Three ingredients (plus butter and olive oil, which I always have) that go a long way when it comes to flavor, won’t take up a lot of room and aren’t too heavy to carry home.

Ravioli
Mushrooms
Walnuts

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook your ravioli according to package instructions.

In a skillet, drop in sliced mushrooms, some butter and some olive oil (I never measure butter and oil, so use your best judgment)

Cook until the mushrooms are browned.

And then add in your chopped walnuts.

Cook until the walnuts are warmed, stirring so they don’t brown.

Drain your ravioli and top with the mushroom walnut mix. For extra decadence, you can add a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Decadent, indulgent, and super easy.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Posted on March 28, 2016 by jacky grace

Coming to you from mom’s not so itty bitty, just outside of the city, kitchen.

Since it was Easter, we spent the weekend at my parents’ house.

Since it was Good Friday, we couldn’t make our usual Friday night pepperoni pizza and salami bread.

The pizza was no problem- just lose the pepperoni and there you have Good Friday ready, meat free dinner.

But what to go with it?

Salami bread without the salami is just bread.

Bread…

How about take some bread and stuff it into peppers?

Italian stuffed peppers and pizza? Perfect Friday night dinner.

You will need

cubanelle peppers
bread, any kind will do, leftover rolls, white bread, whatever
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
olive oil
vegetable oil

Wash the peppers, cut off the tops and remove the insides.

In a bowl, loosely tear the bread. We made four stuffed peppers and used 7 slices of white bread. The amount of bread will depend on how big the peppers are. Worst case scenario? You start stuffing peppers and run out of stuffing and make some more.

To the sliced bread

add about 1/4 cup bread crumbs

and drizzle in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

mix and add more oil or bread crumbs as needed. you want a moist but not oily mixture.

Take your hollowed pepper

and start stuffing, making sure to push the bread all the way down

and stopping a bit from the top. If the pepper is overstuffed, the filling will fall out when you are trying to fry the pepper.

place your stuffed pepper in a skillet with enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Stuff your remaining peppers and place in the pan.

Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes total, turning the peppers so they are cooked on all sides.

You want the skin to get nice and blistered and the filling to get crispy.

The perfect light dinner with a big salad or the perfect accompaniment to Friday night pizza!

Pizza – All about the Pan

Posted on March 22, 2016 by jacky grace

So, back in the day, my family owned a pizzeria in Orange, NJ.

It’s still there – Toast of the Town- but it’s not in the family any longer.

My mom worked there with her aunt Mary back when mom and dad first got married. She ripped the tops off her gym socks to make a sweatband on hot nights while Aunt Mary screamed out number 69.

Welcome to my Family.

So, while we no longer have the pizzeria, we do still have… drum roll… the pizza pans!

Mom has one and grandma has one. I’ve been jonesing for one.

And now, finally, this beauty is mine.

Do you see the perfectly seasoned pan? Do you understand that no matter what I did my pizza would not taste the same as my mom’s or grandma’s because no matter how i seasoned or topped it, it was not baked on this pan.

Until now.

My grandfather recently passed away and we are cleaning out my grandparents’ house and moving grandma into a cute little apartment. She no longer cooks for herself, so when mom asked what I wanted from the house, I asked for the pan.

Now, my Friday night pizza tastes just like mom’s.

Pizza night is such a great family tradition that we’ve been doing as long as I can remember. All you have to do is buy good dough (our grocery store has great frozen dough), defrost it in the morning and then stretch it, top it and bake it when you get home.

Drizzle some olive oil on the pan so the dough doesn’t stick and place your stretched dough on the pan.

Add canned pizza sauce

Shredded mozzarella

Slice pepperoni (because dad says you can’t have pizza without pepperoni)

And bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Slice

And mangia!

Annie’s Mushroom Soup

Posted on December 29, 2015 by jacky grace

Annie is the best cook in the family on my dad’s side. Most people are either a really good cook or a really good baker, but she is not only an incredible baker but also can whip up a dinner with like no ingredients.

A few weeks ago my husband and I were sitting on the couch having breakfast. It was a little cold out so I said how about I try making Annie’s mushroom soup tonight?

Hubs was in. We had been waiting for it to feel like winter.

A few minutes later, my phone beeps with a text message.

Annie: What are you up to today?

I looked at Christopher. She is either in New York or on her way (She and the rest of dad’s family live in Delaware)

Christopher: You think so?

Me: I know so.

Text to Annie: Just hanging out. Why?

Annie: Me and Liz and Lisa hopped on the bus to New York. We’re here!

Me to Christopher: Told you. So we had a surprise visit from the family, walked around New York and looked at all the Christmas decorations and then, after a day with Annie, made Annie’s mushroom soup.

It’s super easy and super delicious.

You will need:

1 pound mushrooms, some sliced, some chopped
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup whipping cream
15oz chicken broth
black pepper
salt

Start by melting the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. toss in the mushrooms once the butter is melted. Cook until mushrooms are brown.

Add the flour and stir

continuing to cook over medium heat and stirring until thickened.

Slowly add cream and chicken broth, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let the soup warm through, stirring so the cream does not burn.

And then dish up in big bowls.

Creamy, rich, mushroomy goodness.

The best Pad Thai I’ve ever had

Posted on November 30, 2015 by jacky grace

The best pad thai ever? Where’d you get it? Some fancy Thai place in the East Village? Random hole in the wall take out spot in midtown?

No and no.

My kitchen.

Prepared by my Greek Armenian husband.

He has a knack for Asian cooking.

I guess I’ll keep him.

For pad thai you will need:

noodles, any kind works- i like brown rice ones
1 shallot, minced
2 eggs
brown sugar
soy sauce
rice vinegar
sesame oil
chili oil
scallions (optional)
chopped peanuts (optional)
pea shoots or sprouts (optional)

Start by cooking your noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. The key to pad thai (or any Asian dish really) is having everything chopped and ready to go as the cooking process goes pretty quick.

In the same pot you just cooked your noodles, add some sesame oil and the shallot.

When the shallot is softened, add a bit more oil and then pour in two beaten eggs (think like you’re making scrambled eggs.

Keeping an eye on your eggs and stirring occasionally, in a bowl mix together 1/8 cup each of brown sugar, soy sauce and rice vinegar and a little less of the sesame oil. Add chili oil to taste (it’s really really hot, so be careful).

Ok when your eggs are done, add the noodles and the sauce to the pot and stir.

Add in your pea shoots or sprouts and stir again.

Dish up into bowls and top with scallions and peanuts, if you choose.

Lose that place down the street’s number and forget about waiting for your takeout delivery ever again.

Mexican Salad

Posted on September 3, 2015 by jacky grace

So, it’s like the hottest day ever in New York.

For real.

We’re talking unbearably hot, humid and sticky.

The heat rises up from the pavement when you walk home from work and if you stand in one spot too long waiting for the light to change, your sandals can melt to the asphalt. No joke.

The last thing I want to do is walk into my sweltering apartment and turn on the stove.

But I’m hungry and want something substantial.

Enter: Mexican Salad.

Cold lettuce, canned beans, rinsed and drained, canned corn, taco spice and creamy guacamole. Satisfying and refreshing dinner.

Start with shredded lettuce. I used iceberg because i wanted something really cold and crunchy.

In a bowl mix pinto beans, black beans and corn and add a tablespoon or so of taco seasoning.

Pile the bean mix and some guacamole on top of the lettuce. and voila! Dinner. No oven required.

Greek Tacos

Posted on August 26, 2015 by jacky grace

Yes, you read that title correctly.

Greek. Tacos.

Hear me out.

A gyro is seasoned meat, either beef or lamb, lettuce, tomatoes and sauce inside a pita.

A taco is seasoned meat, lettuce, tomatoes and sauce inside a tortilla.

All the Greeks out there shuddered. But whatever. This dinner was damn good.

I love a good gyro. The meat that’s been rotating and cooking on a spit all day, dripping glorious juices and layered with delicious seasonings. But it’s not exactly something i can easily make in my tiny kitchen.

Or so I had thought at first.

Sure, I couldn’t have that glorious rotating beef, but, I could use ground beef like i would for tacos and swap the Mexican seasonings for Greek seasonings to give it the Greek flavor profile.

Genius. I know.

You will need

one onion, diced
one pound ground beef
one tablespoon coriander
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
dice tomato
shredded lettuce
pita
tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce)

Drizzle olive oil in a pan and add your diced onions, cooking over medium heat until browned.

Add your ground beef, coriander and salt and pepper.

Cook until meat is cooked through and browned.

Se the table with the meat mixture, lettuce, tomatoes, yogurt sauce and pita, to make a build-your-own gyro stand.

Stuff the pita with your favorite fillings and enjoy.

And don’t try to tell me that isn’t a Greek taco.

Green Chili Mac and Cheese

Posted on August 5, 2015 by jacky grace

Last month we took a quick trip to Austin. Music City USA! Home of fantastic dive bars, endless options for live music and barbecue.

The barbecue was insanely delicious. Pulled pork, brisket, ribs. There was definitely a meat coma.

But as good as the meat stuffs was, I can’t say it was my favorite thing, or the best thing or the thing I am going to crave from this trip.

I’m a sides girl. Pinto beans, cole slaw, potato salad. These are the best parts of getting good barbecue. But the absolute best of the best was the green chili mac and cheese we had at Roaring Fork.

We weren’t interested. The waitress told us to trust her.

And boy am I glad we did.

I make a pretty mean mac and cheese. SO I had to try and make a green chili version that would at least come close to satisfying the craving for the one at Roaring Fork.

So I took a basic mac and cheese recipe and amped it up with some green chilis.

For this recipe you will need:

2 cups of milk
1 small can of green chilis
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
8 oz sharp white cheddar, grated
1 pound pasta, any shape (i used mini shells)
Optional, crushed crackers

Preheat the oven to 400.

Basic mac and cheese starts with a roux. Butter, flour and milk.

You melt the butter and add the flour, whisking, and cooking out the raw flour taste.

Then you add the milk. And here is where this becomes green chili mac and cheese.

Into a blender goes the milk and the can of green chilis. Blend. You will now have green chili milk.

Add to the butter and flour slowly. And whisk until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add in your pasta. Cook according to package directions, drain and set aside.

When the milk and flour mixture has thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon) add in your cheese and stir until it melts.

Remove from the heat. Dump in the pasta and stir until it is all coated.

Pour into a greased 9×13 baking pan.

This next part is optional but recommended. Take half a sleeve of crackers (I used Ritz), place them in a bag, and whack away until you have crumbs.

Sprinkle atop the mac and cheese in the baking dish

And bake for 20-30 minutes. The crackers will turn golden, the cheese will melt and bubble and it won’t turn orange. I don’t know what happened to the lighting there. Sorry guys.

You get the warmth from the heat of the chilis and the smooth creaminess of the cheddar.

A match made in mac and cheese heaven.

Trust me. You won’t miss the brisket when you have a big bowl of this for dinner.

Food Truck Style Falafel Platter

Posted on April 28, 2015 by jacky grace

I love falafel.

Like most New Yorkers, I first discovered falafel when I was a broke college student roaming around the East Village and trying to save a few bucks for the cover charge at the Bitter End so I could watch my friend’s band play, and hopefully find someone who would buy me a beer.

Falafel trucks abound by Washington Square AND you can get a really good falafel for like 2 bucks.

No joke.

So now the question. What is falafel?

It’s basically chickpeas mixed up with some parsley and spices, deep fried and then served in a pita as a sandwich or on some lettuce as a platter.

It is one of my favorite foods of all time. I could definitely subsist on falafel and pasta for the rest of my life and be happy.

Thankfully, falafel was as easy to make as pasta!

You will need:

1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
handful of parsley
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
vegetable oil for frying

Throw everything but the vegetable oil into a food processor.

Blend until smooth

Place the mixture in a bowl and pop in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This helps it set up a bit so it doesn’t break apart when you fry it.

Now, on to the frying.

You want about a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring it up to 350 degrees. I don’t have a thermometer, so I use the wooden spoon trick. Dip the handle of the wooden spoon into the oil; if it pops and bubbles you’re good to go.

Using two tablespoons, form the falafel mixture into balls and carefully drop into the oil.

Fry on one side for 2-3 minutes and then flip and let cook another 2-3 minutes. They will be golden on both sides.

Place on a paper towel-lined plate and continue to form balls and fry until the mixture has all been cooked.

You can take these little guys and stuff them into a pita pocket with some lettuce and cabbage, or you can make a platter, which is what we did.

Iceberg lettuce, pickled cabbage and cucumbers (By the way, the cabbage is just barely pickled. Shred some red cabbage and toss it in a bowl with two tablespoon olive oil, 4 tablespoons champagne vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar, and let it sit in the fridge overnight)

Add your falafel

And finish it off with some tzatziki, hummus or tahini.

Garlic Lime Rice and Old Bay Shrimp

Posted on April 20, 2015 by jacky grace

After an incredibly brutal winter filled with sub zero temps and lots of snow, New Yorkers were so ready for the 70 degree day we were graced with over the weekend.

Rooftops were crowded, tables were dragged out onto the small sidewalk spaces in front of restaurants and, yes, ice cream trucks abounded!

The first warm day is my favorite day in New York. Not just because the sun feels glorious after a long winter of my face being buffetted by wind (why is the West Side so much windier than the East, by the way?) but because of the beauty of watching the city emerge from its chrysalis.

Al fresco dining. Rooftop cocktails. Breezy dresses. And finally, lighter cuisine.

I love the comforting pots of soups and chilis in the winter, but I crave the bright, fresh flavors of spring.

This dish begs to be made on a sunny day when margaritas are the only logical choice of drink.

This recipe is great for those warmer days too as there is little time at the stove and few ingredients needed, so if, you know, some friends find out you have a rooftop and happen to be in the neighborhood, you can feed them. If you want to.

I made this for my husband and I but wound up with leftover rice for lunches for the week, which was my intent. So feel free to half the rice recipe if you don’t want leftovers (but I don’t know what kind of person you would be if you didn’t want leftovers. Sorry no judging in this house)

For the rice:

2 cups rice (I used arborio because that’s what I had, but you could use white or brown or whatever)
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
juice of 2 llimes
4 cups water
olive oil

Drizzle some olive oil in a high-sided skillet and toss in your onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or so on medium heat, stirring so garlic does not burn.

Add your rice and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. It will toast a bit and pick up some of the onion and garlic flavors.

Season with salt and pepper. Add the water and the lime juice. And bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, cover and let it cook for about twenty minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

You’s have fluffy rice, studded with red onion and garlic, and the scent of limes will be wafting in the air.

This is a great side dish for tons of main courses, but when it’s warm out, all I can think about is some shrimp slathered in old bay.

Simply toss frozen (straight from the freezer, no thawing), deveined shrimp (peeled or not, but always tail on) into a big skillet and douse it with old bay seasoning. Cook over medium until shrimp are done (they’ll turn pink).

Serve the shrimp alongside the rice. The rice will cool down the heat from the seasoning.

Then again, so will an ice cold beer.

Itty Bitty City Kitchen

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Category Archives: Weeknight, One or 2 Pot Wonders