Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Spaghetti With Garlic, Chilies, Lemon And Crispy Bread Crumbs

Spaghetti With Garlic, Chilies, Lemon And Crispy Bread Crumbs (from here)


Notes: I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds good! I think I would add some chicken to it for some protein.



For The Bread Crumbs:

1 Cup Coarse Homemade Bread Crumbs

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper


1 Pound Spaghetti

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5 Large Cloves Of Garlic, Minced

Juice Of 1 Lemon

2 to 3 Dry Hot Red Chili Peppers, Crushed

1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley


In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil and add the bread crumbs, lemon zest, salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the crumbs are crisp and light brown. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. While it is cooking, heat the oil in a small, heavy saucepan. Add the garlic and chili peppers and cook until sizzling but not browned. Remove from the heat. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, remove a small cup of pasta water, and drain the pasta. Return to the pot, and add the garlic oil, and lemon juice. Mix well over medium heat until hot, adding a little pasta water if the mixture seems dry. Add the parsley, mix well and serve with the crispy bread crumbs on top.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Bean and Burger Pockets

Bean 'n' Burger Pockets

This is SO GOOOOOOOOOD! And, it makes a lot, so there is a lot of left overs. We ate it over Naan instead of Pita's, but I'm sure it would even be good by itself without bread.

1 1/4 lb. ground beef
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. each dried thyme, savory, majoram, oregano, and parsley flakes
1 can (8 3/4 oz) navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 3/4 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 3/4 oz) lima beans, rinsed and drained
5 pita breads, halved
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a heavy sauce pan or dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

Add tomatos, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, brown sugar, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally (we added beans at this time too and it was fine).

Stir in beans; heat through. Spoon about 1/2 cup. into each pita half. Top with cheese if desired.