A Favorite Recipe: Penne with Fennel

When Lindsey and I were in Rome back in 2003, we ate one of the yummiest meals ever at a tucked-away restaurant where no one spoke English and there was no menu. We were simply served course after course. We could only guess what we were eating, and it was an unforgettable, scrumptious meal. One of the courses featured a distinctive vegetable I was unfamiliar with. Turned out to be fennel, and ever since then, I've had a special affection for this yummy vegetable that reminds me of our Italian adventure.

Penne Pasta with Roasted Fennel, Cherry Tomatoes, and Black Olives has been one of Rob's and my favorites since it was first published in Cooking Light a few months after W. was born. We make it for everyone. It's good company food -- delicious and a tad unusual.

Enjoy!

Quick caesar salad with eggs

Often we want something quick and tasty for dinner, but that all too often means frozen pizza or pasta with sauce from a jar. That's all well and good sometimes, but I'm bored of it and don't think it's all that healthy. I recently made this dinner salad for myself and Eric and it's actually pretty tasty. I would even serve it to guests for an informal dinner.

Melt a little butter in a (non-stick) frying pan over medium heat.
Once the butter is melted, crack 2 eggs per person into the frying pan.
Salt and pepper the eggs.

While the eggs are getting going, get out some individual salad bowls and place a good amount of greens in each. I like to use arugula or spinach for this salad.

Check on the eggs - once the whites start to congeal, I add a few tablespoons of water to the pan and use a spatula to slightly lift the eggs so that the water gets under the eggs and starts to boil. I place a loose-fitting lid on the pan, which steams the tops of the eggs. The water also keeps the bottom of the eggs from sticking to the pan.

Back to the salad - drizzle Caesar salad dressing (or another dressing of your choice) over the greens, and throw on any other veggies you might like to add.

Take the lid off the eggs - they should be just about done. The yellows should be firming up a bit. Let the rest of the water boil away and take the yellows to the firmness that you prefer - I like my eggs with slightly congealed yolks.

Spatula the eggs onto the greens, which will wilt slightly. Toss on some croutons if you have 'em or serve some toasted french bread on the side, and you've got yourself a quick and satisfying dinner!

Fish tacos

I love fish tacos.
If you have visited me in Seattle you will know that there is as place near the UW that is on the water and serves delicious food from baja Mexico. My all-time-I'll-never-order-anything-else dish there is the bacaloa. It is amazing.

Then I think "Hey, I like fish tacos - I'll make them at home"...and...FAIL!

Similar thinking occurred last night, except they were actually delicious. Hurrah!

This is what I did:

For the fish:
Melt some butter in a pan over medium heat
While the butter is melting put Tilapia fillets in a dish and season with fresh lime juice and chili powder. Throw in some salt and pepper for good measure.
When the butter is nice and melty - throw the tilapia in the pan.
Let it cook until the tilapia gets opaque on the edges but is still raw in the middle.
Flip over the fillets and cook about 5 more minutes.

While this is going on, prepare the rest:
Blend up some sour cream and garlic/chives/cilantro/parsley/scallion...
I used garlic scapes and the sauce was tangy and delicious, but since scapes are only around for a week or two in early summer, that's not really realistic all the time.
If you see scapes at the farmers market, though, definitely go for them!

You'll also need some soft tortillas and some shredded cabbage.

To assemble:
Onto a blank tortilla, add some sauce, some cabbage and some fish.

"Hey, I like fish tacos - I'll make them at home"...and...SUCCESS!

Farmers Market Pasta

I love fresh crisp vegetables and I love pasta. Last night I made-up this pasta-veggie dish after a trip to the local farmers market.

Put on water to boil for pasta.
While that's getting going, chop up some fresh veggies. I used garlic scapes and sugar snap peas, just because that's what was in season. I would imagine you could use peas or green beans or broccoli or whatever looks good!
I think a good rule of thumb is probably 1/4 lb pasta per person and 1-2 cups of vegetables per person.

While the pasta is boiling, melt some butter or oil in a large saucepan. Add your stronger flavors (e.g. garlic, scapes, scallions) so that they have a few minutes to mellow. 2-4 minutes before the pasta is set to be done, add in the rest of the veggies and cook over med-low heat. A little sauce and some seasoning is good at this stage. I used some white wine, Dijon mustard, dill and black pepper. Once the pasta is done, drain it and throw it in with the pan with everything else. Then - and trust me, this makes it delicious - throw in a few spoonfulls of plain yogurt. The yogurt will give it a good tang and bind everything together into a kind of sauce. It ends up kind of being like a pasta primavera, but is infinitely easier.