Pasta alla Puttanesca with Molasses Drop Cookies

I have been meaning to try this recipe, not only for it's interesting ingredients, but because of the name which translates to Prostitutes Pasta.  My kids were horrified when I told them what it meant and that I was going to make something that was popular with prostitutes.  I'm quirky that way.  Supposedly this was a favorite recipe of the prostitutes because it was a sauce that could be made up quickly and had great flavor.  The ingredients vary from region to region.  What's held me back from trying it was because a lot of the recipes called for anchovies and capers, two ingredients I don't have a lot of experience with.  This one is from Lucinda Scala Quinn (again!) and calls for the capers (but no anchovies) and olives (black and green).  It's kind of spicy (but not too much) and has a very interesting and very good flavor.  My daughter and her friend actually really liked it.

I have learned the value of soaking and rinsing capers.  If you don't, it can be disastrous to your recipe.  For this recipe, I soaked them in cold water while I prepped the rest of the ingredients and then rinsed them.  As I got to the bottom of the plate the pasta was coated with more of the sauce and I could taste the capers a bit more.  If you don't like the taste of them that much, I would reduce them to 2 tablespoons instead of 3, but do not omit them.  You need them to balance the olives and red pepper flake flavors and add some saltiness.  Also, if your sensitive to the red pepper flakes, you can just use 1/4 teaspoon total instead of 1/2.

You may be wondering why the green olives are coarsely chopped and the black olives are thinly sliced.  This is strictly for giving some variety in color and shape in the sauce.  I think it gives it a nice look.  When I bought the green olives there were several choices.  I made the mistake of buying the ones that aren't pitted.  Pay attention to that because it's a pain slicing away the olive meat from the pit.  For the black olives, there was only the canned variety, no fancy types.  That's what I used and it was fine.

In Lucinda's recipe, she uses bucatini pasta.  This is a large-style spaghetti that is hollow in the center.  I liked the bucatini, but it was hard to twirl onto our forks.  You would get it nice and wound and then would unloop itself.  If you think this would be a problem, you can use a large-style or regular size spaghetti.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Pasta alla Puttanesca

Ingredients:

·       1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1/2 cup black olives, such as Gaeta or Nicoise, rinsed, pitted, and thinly sliced

·       1/2 cup green olives Italian-style, rinsed, pitted, and coarsely chopped

·       3 tbsp. capers, preferably salt-packed, thoroughly soaked and rinsed

·       1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

·       28 oz. can best-quality tomatoes, half pureed, half roughly crushed

·       1 sprig fresh basil, plus more for garnish

·       1/2 tsp. dried oregano

·       1 pound large size or regular spaghetti

·       freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·       Molasses Drops Cookies (see recipe), for serving

Directions:

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

    Place olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle but not brown, about 30 seconds. Add the olives, capers, and 1/4 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes. Add the pureed and crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for15 minutes. Add the basil sprig, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and the oregano and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

    Meanwhile, generously salt the boiling water. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm. Set the timer for 2 minutes less than the package instructions specify and taste for doneness. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with additional red pepper flakes, grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly torn basil leaves.

Servings:  4-6

In the same episode, Lucinda made her version of Molasses Drop Cookies.  She had inherited the family recipe box and found several variations of the recipe.  What this told her was that it's great to have recipes passed down from generation to generation, but also that you've gotta make it your own.  For her variation, she rolled them in white sanding sugar which not only makes them pretty but also gives them a nice crunch.  She also added candied orange peel.  I couldn't find any candied orange peel and didn't have time to order some.  I did have some orange baking emulsion in the pantry which I'm sure all of you happen to have.  But if you don't and can't find the candied orange peel like me, maybe add some orange extract which you can normally find at the grocery store.  I really think they need the orange flavor because it balances out the brown sugar and molasses which can be a bit heavy when combined.  The orange gave it freshness and made it more kid friendly.  

A tool I highly recommend for this recipe, is a scoop.  She has you scooping out about a tablespoon of dough and then rolling it into a ball.  The problem I had with that is that this dough is pretty sticky.  So what I did was scoop out the dough with a small scoop and drop it directly into a dish of white sanding sugar.  I then moved the dish around to coat the dough with the sugar.  Another item I recommend is parchment paper.  You line your cookie sheet with the parchment paper and when they are done baking, just slide the parchment off the cookie sheet onto your cooling rack.  No more waiting for them to cool (and continue baking) and then lifting off the cookies one by one onto the rack.  You can eat them while they are still warm, but not all flavors will come out in the taste, especially the orange flavor.  They really are best if you allow them to cool completely.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Molasses Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

·       1 3/4 cups flour

·       1/2 tsp. baking soda

·       1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

·       1/2 tsp. coarse salt

·       1/4 tsp. ground ginger

·       1/8 tsp. ground cloves

·       1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

·       2 oz. (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

·       1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

·       1/4 cup whole milk

·       1 large egg, lightly beaten

·       1/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel

·       sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 375º. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves. Whisk in brown sugar. Stir in melted butter, molasses, milk, and egg. Fold in candied orange peel.

    Roll 1 tablespoon or 1/2 teaspoon dough into a ball. Roll in sanding sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.

    Cook's Note:  Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Servings:  3 dozen large or 18 dozen small

Steak Pizzaiola

I made this a while ago, but I guess I forgot to blog about it.  Even though it's been a while, I can still remember how yummy it tastes!  This is a pretty simple recipe but yields a lot of flavor.

You start off by browning the chuck steak and make sure you really brown it because that's part of building the flavor.  A neat thing about this recipe, you're only using 2 pans for it.  One for the chuck steak and sauce and the other to cook the pasta.  It'll take a few hours to complete, but the majority of that time is spent in the oven.  For the pasta, I would recommend penne pasta.  Real meaty sauces seem to call for this tube shape pastas.  Actually I don't have much more to say about it, because it's that easy.  Enjoy!

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Steak Pizzaiola

Ingredients:

·       2 1/2 lb. bone-in chuck steak, or 2 pounds if boneless

·       1 tsp. coarse salt

·       freshly ground black pepper

·       2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

·       3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

·       1 tbsp. tomato paste

·       28 oz. can whole tomatoes, with juice

·       1 tsp. dried oregano

·       1 tsp. dried thyme

·       1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

·       cooked tube pasta of your choice

Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 325º. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Brown the meat on both sides. Remove the meat from the skillet and take the pan off the heat.

    Stir into the pan the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the whole tomatoes, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes. Mash up the tomatoes with a large fork, return the meat to the pan, spoon the sauce over it, and cover tightly.

    Braise in the oven for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook in the oven for an additional 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened up.

    In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook pasta of choice according to package directions.  Reserve some water before draining in case sauce is too thick.

    Note:  Serve this tender, fall-off-the-bone meat with bread and polenta. You can also present it as a "sauce" by shredding the meat, mixing it with the leftover tomatoes from the pan, and tossing with pasta.

Servings:  6-8

Lamb with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary; Stuffed Artichokes and Tabbouleh

Since the weather has been warming up, I thought I would try Lucinda Scala Quinn's (Mad Hungry Fame) Lamb.  I've only made lamb once, and it was not good.  I'm not sure if it was the recipe, the cut or the cook that made it not good since I had never had it before and had nothing to compare it too.  I have to credit my friend Lisa's husband, George Wainscott, with reintroducing me to lamb the proper way.  He makes great lamb which he usually brings us on Easter Sunday!  On to the recipes:

This recipe is so easy to make.  Probably the most difficult is if you have to butterfly the leg of lamb.  Lucinda recommends asking your butcher to do this, but in Las Vegas full-service butchers are hard to find.  I ended up finding the leg of lamb at Sam's Club as my usual locations for buying meat were unsuccessful.  I would recommend watching Lucinda's video of making Chicken Milanese on Martha Stewart's web site.  She shows you a real easy way to butterfly thicker cuts of meat.  You do need one special piece of equipment which I would highly recommend because of the pureeing of the whole lemons-a good quality food processor.  But, I would recommend one for any kitchen!

Slathered with the marinade

Fresh out of the oven

Sliced and ready to eat!

Lamb with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary

Ingredients:

·       2 whole lemons, washed, seeded, and chopped

·       2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed

·       5 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled

·       1 tbsp. coarse salt

·       1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·       2 to 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

·       1 boneless leg of lamb, butterflied, boned, and cut to lay flat (about 5 lb.)

·       Tabbouleh (see recipe), for serving

·       Stuffed Artichokes (see recipe), for serving

Directions:

    Place the chopped lemon, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor. A blender can also be used, if done in batches. If you have neither, finely chop all ingredients together.

    Open up the lamb and lay it flat. Spread and massage the lemon paste evenly over the inside and outside of the lamb. Place in a baking dish and cover, or in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight to marinate, turning occasionally.

    Preheat the oven to 450º. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. Place the lamb on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Place the meat in the oven and after 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast for 45 minutes, or until medium rare, 140º on an instant read thermometer. Allow the meat to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Servings:  6-8

 Again, here I am making something I've never made before, but this was pretty simple.  The hardest part is prepping the artichokes.  Again, I recommend checking out Lucinda's video for this recipe if you've never made artichokes before.  Sometimes a visual clicks better.  This recipe calls for 6 artichokes, but I just got 4 since there were only four of us.  You are suppose to put them single layer close to each other in a pan with a lid. I could only fit 3 in the pan which was fine since my son, Sean, wouldn't touch them.  I would recommend going easy on stuffing them since the way you eat artichokes, you don't need a lot of stuffing.  I found that out afterward.  They were pretty good, but I'm not a major fan of steamed artichokes due to the fact that you just don't get a lot compared to the effort it takes to make them.  I do love marinated artichoke hearts.  If you are a steamed artichoke lover, you will probably love this recipe.  As for me, I'll probably try something else next time I make the lamb.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients:

·       1 lemon, halved

·       6 whole artichokes

·       3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

·       1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

·       1 small garlic clove, minced

·       2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

·       freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

    Squeeze the lemon halves into a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Trim the bottom off each artichoke. Trim off the tough outer leaves. Snip the thorny tips off the top leaves. As each one is completed, place it in the lemon water to prevent it from discoloring.

    In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, and parsley and season with pepper. Pull each leaf open slightly from each artichoke and stuff a little filling into the opening. Place the artichokes snugly side by side in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1 inch of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and steam until the bottoms of the artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes; a knife should insert easily. Make sure the water doesn't boil dry. Add more water if necessary.

    Serve each artichoke hot, on an individual plate.

Servings:  6

This recipe was also a newby for me, but very good.  I did run into a little trouble.  I soaked the bulgur wheat for the 20 minutes, but it didn't seem to bloom the way it did on Lucinda's show.  The only thing I could figure out was the fact that I took the bulgur out of the freezer just before soaking.  I always store all my wheat products in the freezer as whole wheat tends to go rancid pretty fast.  I was worried about the fact that the bulgur was still pretty crunchy, but I still had some time before everything was ready so I quickly assembled the salad and stored it in the fridge.  I believe that extra time marinating made a difference but it seemed it was still a little too crunchy.  I have never tried Tabbouleh before so didn't have anything to compare it to.  Anyone have input on this, I would love to hear it!  If you are having trouble finding Bulgur wheat, it is probably on your baking aisle in the specialty flour section or on the healthy/organic foods aisle.  I highly recommend using vine-ripened tomatoes for this also.  Not only was this dish loaded with flavor, it is so good for you!  I will definitely try this one again.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients:

·       1/2 cup bulgur wheat

·       2 tomatoes, diced (1 1/2 cups)

·       3 scallions (both white and green parts), trimmed and thinly sliced (1 cup)

·       2 to 3 cups chopped fresh curly parsley, stems removed

·       1 cucumber, peeled and diced (1 cup)

·       1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

·       1/4 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

·       2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

·       1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

·       1/4 tsp. coarse salt, or more to taste

Directions:

    Rinse the bulgur wheat in cold running water and soak in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.

    Add the tomatoes, scallions, parsley, cucumber, and mint. Toss together.

    Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir the dressing into the salad to fully combine. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Servings:  6