Creamy Spaghetti of Lobster and Breaded Veal Scallopini

My family flipping loves shellfish, especially lobsters and since the lobsters were on sale for 7.99/lb, I went and bought two for merely 50 bucks. Instead of boiling the dears alive (ahaha, gotta love my vegetarianism!), I gave them a quick death by piercing a knife swiftly into their head and between their eyes. I placed the lobsters in a pot with minimal boiling, salted water and steamed them for around 15 minutes. When cool enough to touch, I cracked them open, took out all the succulent meat, cut them into to chunks and set aside for the sauce. For extra lobster richness and flavor, I also scooped out the brains and reserved them for the sauce (sounds gross, I know, but it is soooo worth it!).
I made a simple béchamel sauce (that is actually vegan so that I could later use in my own pasta dish) and reserved it.While I boiled my spaghetti noodles (which were basil and tomato flavored), I sauteed some garlic with olive oil and the brains in a frying pan until aromatic and added in a splash of white wine, cooking it down as I added in the lobster meat. Season lightly with salt and pepper before spooning in the bechamel sauce, letting all the flavors mingle and simmer on low heat. As soon as the pasta was al dente, I scooped the pasta into the sauce and mixed it together with a ladle of the pasta water, which helps the sauce adhere to the noodles. Stir in some freshly chopped flat-head parsley (aka Italian parsley) and serve hot.
I served the spaghetti of lobster alongside breaded veal scallopini, topped with brussel sprouts that were cooked in a balsamic vinegar reduction. It's a very low-in-fat meal since the sauce is made with low-fat soy milk and olive oil rather than whole milk and butter. The breaded veal were fried lightly in grapeseed oil, so the fat content there is also low. Nutritious and delicious!!

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Vegan Béchamel Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
1 cup low-fat unsweetened soy milk/unsweetened almond milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes to create a roux. Stir in half the cup of milk and whisk until smooth; whisk in the remainder. Leave to simmer until thickens, then season to taste.

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For my own veggie dinner, I had breaded eggplant rounds (I LOVE EGGPLANT) and a baked tofu and eggplant spaghetti with the vegan béchamel sauce. The baked tofu is a recipe that I tried out by The Vegan Zombie, and he has got me hooked. I've always disliked cooking with tofu but this baked tofu recipe is absolutely something I will make again.

EGGPLANT!!

To wash it all down, my brother made us a refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage that is to DIE for! It's called Targa 911 and it is soooo goood!

1 1/2 oz. orange juice
1 1/2 oz. passion-fruit juice
3/4 oz. pineapple juice
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. non-alcoholic grenadine
1/2 cup ice

Stir all ingredients together in a cup or use a shaker. SO GOOD.

Loaded Vegetable Lasagna

My dinner.
Lasagna, layered with tomato sauce, white sauce, ricotta, and vegetables. Yum, yum, yummeh!

Portabella Florentine Lasagna

I had a huge craving for pasta today and decided to make a lasagna Florentine after rummaging through my fridge and found spinach and portabella mushrooms. The idea was simple: create a luxuriously rich and creamy Béchamel Sauce, make a savory mushroom and spinach filling and layer these divine assets between lasagna noodles and mozza cheese.  After baking for half an hour to have all the cheese and delious-ness melt together, I tossed up a quick salad so that I didn't feel too guilty with my indulgence.

I don't have a set recipe for my Béchamel Sauce but you can try following Chef Batali's recipe.

Portabella and Spinach Filling

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large portabella mushroom caps, cut into bit-sized slices
3 tsp salt
3-4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed, spun dried and chopped
2 tsp nutmeg
Dried or fresh basil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and add the shallots. Cook until transparent, then add in the garlic until aromatic. Turn heat to medium-high and add in the mushrooms and salt, stirring until mushrooms become tender. Lower heat to medium-low and add in baby spinach and stir until spinach is completely wilted but not soggy. Stir in nutmeg and basil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Let cool and remove any excess water/juices. Stir in 1/4 cup of Béchamel sauce.

To layer the lasagna, just go sauce, noodles, filling, cheeses (mozzarella and Parmesan), noodles, filling, cheeses, etc., until you end up with noodles. Top with sauce and cheese. Bake in a 400 F oven for half and hour until cheese have melted and are golden brown. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.


**If you want real protein, chicken is the way to go. Just slice up some chicken and cook before adding in the mushrooms and spinach. If you have left over chicken, shred that up and add to the cooked mushroom/spinach filling. Easy Peasy.

Quick Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti

Just a very quick lunch I threw together using fresh mushrooms, cream of mushroom, some milk and whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Yum, yum, yum! Served with Parmesan and freshly ground pepper.

2 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup of sliced button mushrooms
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti noodles, cooked according to packaged instructions

Heat oil in a skillet and add the garlic until aromatic. Saute in the mushrooms with a pinch of salt until juices begin to emerge. Add in the can of condensed cream and stir on low heat until it breaks into lumps, then add in water and milk. Stir and let the mixture simmer and reduce to a desired thickness. Season according to taste. Add in cooked pasta and a small ladle of the pasta water into the mushroom sauce, stirring until noodles are coated. Serve hot with Parmesan, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Comfort Food 101: Mac n' Cheese.

Today was a day that I needed some comfort since the skies were gloomy and I was home alone. As I rummaged through all the cupboards and shelves looking for something to munch on, my eyes fell on a bag of elbow pasta and the idea resonated in my mind as if a choir of prepubescent boys were behind me, heavenly singing, "macaroniiiii and cheeeeeese." I got to work right away, bringing a pot of salted water to a boil and cooking the pasta to perfecto al dente. I drained the pasta in a coriander, and using the same pot I used to cook the pasta, I melted 2 tbsp margarine and added the cooked macaroni, stirring until evenly coated under low heat. I added around 1/4 cup milk, stirred then added approx. 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Seasoned with pepper and salt to taste, I added 1 tsp of chili powder for some heat. And voila, done.

Italian Wedding Soup

Also known as marriage soup, this soup is named after the harmony of flavors in the soup; the meatball's compatibly with the greens, bonded together by the sharpness of Parmesan and herbs like parsley, garlic and onions. It is also symbolic at weddings and you can guess why hehe.
My version here is made from turkey stock and turkey/pork meatballs. I used curly endives as my greens, and followed a recipe that added egg to the soup. The result was very aromatic, and my family loves it! ^-^

Kalamata Olive and Feta Focaccia Bread

I must say that Focaccia bread, the Italian herb flatbread, is one of my favorite breads of all time. There are three reasons why I think this way: one reason is because it is so simple and easy to make. Second is it is so versatile, it can be served with soups, made into croutons, turned into sandwiches or just simply served on its own. And third, it is packed and I mean packed, with flavor. Flavors really depend on taste but my two favorites are olive and feta or sun-dried tomato with garlic. It is really up to your own preference in flavors. Jalapenos are great too, or rosemary and garlic; the classic.
I used my trusty stand mixer to make my life a lot easier but if you don't have one, your life will be a litt harder because you'll  need muscle to knead.

This recipe produces one tender, fluffy and flavor-orgasmic Olive and Feta Focaccia.

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast or a package

1 tsp sugar

3 ½ cup flour

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tsp kosher salt dissolved in 1/4 cup water

2/3 cup olive oil

12 extra Kalamata olives, halved 

5 tbsp or more olive oil for brushing

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1-2 tsp ground black pepper

Place yeast, sugar and warm water in a stand mixer bowl or a large bowl and let proof for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the flour gradually while mixing on low speed with a dough hook (or with your hands). Continue mixing until all flour is used up (it will seem very dry). Add in the olives, cheese, salt water and olive oil. Increase speed to 2 and let knead for 10 minutes (continue to mix with hands in the bowl until a ball forms then move to a lightly dusted surface and knead for 10 minutes until elastic and no longer sticky). Form the dough into a ball. Grease a large bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, slide ball in and move around to grease the whole ball. Cover with a  kitchen towel, place in a warm area and let rise for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Grease shallow baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil, and place ball in the tray. Press down on the ball and stretch to fit the pan (does not have to be perfect). Cover again and let rest for 15-30 minutes in a warm place. 

Preheat oven to 345 F.

Press halved olives on top and brush the entire bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until Focaccia is golden brown.

Cool on a cooling rack and serve warm.

Spaghetti Squash, Anyone?

Earlier oday I wanted to have a light dish for supper but with an Italian twist. Whilst accompanying my mom in her grocery shopping, I came across...the spaghetti squash. Hallelujah, I found my craving solution! I've seen on countless cooking shows and read several recipes on how to prepare this type of stringy noodle squash and so I decided to go ahead and try it out; there is always a first for everything.
It was fairly simple, preheat oven to 375 F; slice squash in half and remove pits and seeds; brush with olive oil on skin side and flesh side (I also did some pre-seasoning with salt and pepper); place squash halves skin side up and bake for 45-60 minutes until tender. After cooking, leave to cool down a bit and using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away to form "spaghetti noodles". And what better way to eat spaghetti than with some creamy tomato sauce, spiked with a little brandy and studded with juicy button mushroom chunks-YUM!
I topped everything up with shredded Gruyere cheese, which is very strong and savory, giving the dish that extra "kick" in flavor. I can definitely go on a spaghetti squash diet if I want to, it's simply delicious!

Stuffed Rigatoni

Made this for my dinner tonight. Rigatoni stuffed with a mixture of ricotta and broccoli. Baked in tomato sauce, parmesan and mozzarella. Mmmhhmmmmm!

Ricotta cheese and broccoli mixture

A layer of the stuffed rigatoni.

Dish before being baked.

Classic Spagehtti and Meatballs

What is a more romantic dish than the classical Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs. However, these "meatballs" have been "vegetarianized" thus there is no meat present but it tastes just as good! Baked and served on whole wheat spaghettini and smoldered with pasta sauce made from fresh tomatoes. Garnished with a sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan and black pepper.

Meatless Meatballs

1 cup Yves Veggie Beef ground or protien crumbles
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 egg

1/3 cup breadcrumbs
 2 tbsp flour
 1/3 cup milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degees Celsius.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix first portion of ingredients together. After thoroughly combined, add in remaining ingredients and mix.
3. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and roll balls up to the size of a golf ball. Place on sheets and before baking, spray each meatless meatball with the cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until meatless meatballs are browned.
4. Remove from oven, and prepare half a can of tomato paste and mix with water, lightly season and spoon over each meatless meatball to keep them moist.

Voila!