Oreo Truffles Anyone...

Surprise...I made a dessert item!  

If you have been following this blog or know anything about me you know that baking is not my favorite activity in the kitchen.  By all means I can do it if I have to or if the mood strikes me.  This mood usually happens when there is two feet of snow predicted and I know I will be housebound until someone plows me out.  Since it is November and still unseasonably warm in New Jersey the Oreo cookie truffles were because I had to.   At first it seemed like a great idea suggested by my lovely sister, Nicole (she and I were hosting a dinner party).   I was all for it up until the day I actually had to make them and that is when I began dreading the Oreo cookie project.  I am at the store thinking how is this going to work, the directions for the recipe seem too easy and this Almond Bark is uncharted territory.   At this point I am convinced the kitchen, my husband and the greyhounds will all be covered in some type of chocolate goop.  

Here goes -  I pulverize the cookies...that went well.  Mix in the cream cheese...so far so good.  I roll the mix into balls without a sweat.  I set the timer to make sure my little gems set in the fridge.  10 long minutes pass and now its time for the dipping process.  I melt the Almond Bark in the microwave and at this point I think well I can always buy a little sweet treat tomorrow.  It melts like a dream, its like lava in the bowl and I go in for the first dip...with a spoon I roll the cold Oreo ball and the Almond Bark coats its perfectly.  What?!?  Why is my arm not covered in Almond Bark and why didn't my Oreo ball fall apart.  Let's keep going before something happens and something did happen...my Oreo creations turned into beautiful, chocolate covered truffles that tasted amazing. 


Total Time: About 1 hour

1 lb. Package of Oreo Cookies (minus 8 cookies)
1 (8oz.) Package of Cream Cheese (softened)
12 oz. Almond Bark Chocolate Coating 
Special Equipment...
Parchment Paper and a Non-Stick Cookie Sheet


Place the cookies in the food processor or blender and pulverize into a powder
Take cookie crumbs and place in a large bowl
Mix in the cream cheese until no white is showing
Roll into balls and place on parchment paper covered cookie sheet
Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes
Place Almond Bark in microwave safe bowl 
Melt in 30 second increment, stirring after each increment until warm and smooth
Remove Oreo balls from fridge 
Carefully roll each Oreo ball in melted Almond Bark and place back on parchment paper to set 
Make about 36 Oreo truffles 

***Place Oreo ball on a tablespoon to gently coat with chocolate

Red Pasta Take II

Do we have to fight for the right to eat healthy...I think not.  With a little imagination and some great flavor a dish is born.  I am always experimenting with flavor and adding something new to the food rotation in my kitchen and my latest and greatest, of course, has a story.

Once upon a Saturday night I sit quietly with my glass red wine and my new lap top computer.  I decide to scour the Internet in search of recipe contests.  I figure why not a recipe contest I wrote a cookbook.  So I begin the hunt.   To my amazement there just under a million recipe contests.  Tuna, wine, vegetables, cakes, turkey - where to begin.  I click on vegetable side dishes something I love to make and I successfully submit a recipe to Food 52 for my Onion Sage Tart- which if you were wondering I did not win.  Onward to the next recipe contest.  The Aetna Healthy Food Fight.  Interesting...heart healthy, low sodium....Ok let's give this a whirl.

I begin putting in the ingredients for my Red Pasta dish and it bounces back saying too much of this, too little of that, no protein, etc. etc. etc.  The parameters of this contest are very specific.  Ok I amened the recipe maybe I should say I totally revamp the recipe and create something new.   It has the basic idea of my original recipe but it is completely different.  Here goes...

Ingredients:
1 lb. of Whole Wheat Pasta
3 Garlic Cloves (peeled)
1 (12oz.) Jar of Roasted Red Peppers
1/2 Cup Shredded Rotisserie Chicken (dark meat preferred)
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Parmesan Reggiano Grated Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Drizzling

Well it sounds pretty good despite the fact it has whole wheat pasta as the main ingredient - as you can tell by now whole wheat pasta is not a favorite among my kitchen.  The recipe passes the test and it gets posted to the Aetna Healthy Food Fight website among the other recipe submissions.  I vote on it and so does my husband.  Watch out 2 total votes for the imaginary Red Pasta dish.

About 2 weeks pass and I get an e-mail that this recipe has been chosen to compete At the Apple Festival in Bucks County Pennsylvania and I have 24 hours to respond if I will be competing or not.  This is all very exciting but the big question remains what in the world does this recipe taste like?  So my husband and I decide to go ahead and respond "Yes" to the invite and take the recipe for a test kitchen run the following night for dinner. I follow my recipe exactly and WOW it is so delicious even with whole wheat pasta.  We decide to take it to the Aetna Healthy Food Fight Challenge  - Apple Festival in Bucks County!

So after a week long of e-mailing back and forth with mt representative at Healthy Food Fight we are a go.  Time slot secured, ingredients on the shopping list, directions, etc.  I get another e-mail...unfortunately we cannot provide you with a Rotisserie Chicken it is considered a pre-cooked item and not an ingredient.  I am now disqualified from the Healthy Food Fight Challenge.  I send back a polite e-mail and decide it was not meant to be but was meant to be was the creation of Red Pasta Take II.

So I challenge all of you to make this recipe and know that this dish is heart healthy and delicious.  We do not ever have to settle for healthy eating.  Healthy eating comes from great, fresh ingredients and it can be done with or without a Rotisserie Chicken.

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to directions and drain well
In the meantime place garlic cloves and roasted red peppers (with the juice)
In a food processor/blender and process or blend on slow until garlic and peppers are minced
In a small skillet, heat Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with pepper
Add chicken and garlic/pepper mixture to skillet and cook till warmed
Toss mixture with hot pasta and drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Top with cheese
Serve alongside a garden salad

Vote, Vote, Vote

A Tall Glass of Santa Margherita Chianti Please...

To Compliment A Big Delicious Bowl Of   

A&T Veal Pasta

It Is With Great Excitement That I Announce My Recipe For Veal Pasta Has Been Chosen In The 

Santa Margherita Pour and Pair Challenge!  

A&T Veal Pasta Is 1 of 6 Finalists 

I Am Asking You To Please Vote By Clicking On 

http://www.santamargherita.us/content/pour-pair-challenge

Vote EVERYDAY Till Monday, October 31st! 

Many, Many, Many Thanks For the Many, Many, Many Votes...

What Do You Call That Italian Broccoli???

Raab, Rapa, Rapine, Rappi, Rappone, Broccoli de Rabe.  Which ever name you prefer it all comes down to the same thing...deliciousness.  Albeit it is an acquired taste of mild bitterness and garlic goodness that I find irresistible.  


Broccoli raab was not always my favorite leafy selection growing up.  When my Nana would make it for my Pop she would say "Toni Ann try it it isn't bitter at all" as she walked toward me with a big steamy forkful of the stuff.  I would turn my nose up each time but forcefully swallow it just not to disappoint her.  But when your say 8 years old your palate for broccoli raab has not developed but when you realize this leafy, flowery, garlicky bite tastes so good with some fresh Italian bread and a slice of sharp provolone your whole world changes.   


I learned how to make broccoli raab from watching my Nana.  It was an all day long production which began in the early morning.  She would stand at the sink and soak it, wring it out, strip the leaves from the stems taking care to save the stems which she later carefully peeled and added to the salad.  Once this part of the preparation was over she would fire up the stove, add the garlic and olive oil and in went the raab.  Overflowing from the pot she would smash it in and cover it tight.  After what seemed to be a sea of green leaves in the pot she would uncover it to find it all shrunk down.  She would then repeat the process for the other 15 heads she had to prepare.  


This is what I knew and this is how I always prepared my broccoli raab until I decided one day I want to try something different...I want to roast my broccoli raab.  I love to roast vegetables so I figured this might enhance the flavor.  Well not only does it enhance the flavor but it takes the broccoli raab to another level of love.  Some of the leaves get crispy and crunchy while some of the leaves get soft and tender. The garlic is so pronounced and the olive oil coats it perfectly.  One bite and my taste buds crave more and then I cannot decide how to eat it...my favorite is the classic broccoli raab sandwich but I also enjoy it in pasta and just out of the Tupperware for that matter.  How ever you like your pronounce your name for broccoli raab and how ever you might like to enjoy it give it a little change and try this recipe.  

Roasted Broccoli Raab

2 Large Heads Broccoli Raab 

8 Cloves of Garlic (sliced thin)

Salt/Pepper 

Olive Oil 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 

Rinse and dry the top of the broccoli raab 

Carefully cut the broccoli raab above the twist tie and discard the bottom stems 

Separate the broccoli raab evenly among two non-stick cookie sheets

Sprinkle the garlic over the two pans of broccoli raab 

Season with salt/pepper 

Coat with olive oil and toss with your hands 

Place in oven for 15 minutes 

Remove from oven and re-season with a pinch of salt and toss 

Allow it to cool and transfer to a bowl for serving 

To Eat Vegetables Or To Only Eat Vegetables...

What is a vegetarian?  The interpretation of a vegetarian is pretty liberal these days...is it a person who strictly eats vegetables and consumes no animal protein at all - not even honey?  Is it the person who eats only vegetables but still consumes eggs?  Is it the person who eats no red meat but enjoys fish?  Am I a veg head because I only eat red meat about every 4 - 6 weeks?  For what it is worth my interpretation of a vegetarian is whatever you decide you want it to be.  So go out and celebrate vegetarian month which ever way you please but try this veggie recipe for Lentil Stuffed Peppers along the way.

Lentil Stuffed Peppers

4 Large Green Bell Peppers (halved / seeded and tops chopped)
1 Cup Lentils
1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
3 Cups Water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion (chopped)
Salt/Pepper
1 Teaspoon Hot Red Pepper Flakes
1 Glass Red Wine
1 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Lemon  (zested)
***5 oz. Four Cheese Shred - Asiago, Fontina, Parmesan, Provolone
Panko Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a glass dish place the peppers cut side down. Pour a tad of water around peppers so that they can steam.
Place in oven for 40 minutes.

In the meantime bring the chicken soup and water to a boil. Add lentils and cook till tender about 15 minutes
Drain and season with salt/pepper and lemon zest, set aside.

At the same time as the lentils are boiling, in a separate skillet, over medium heat add olive oil and onions.
Season onions with salt/pepper and red pepper flakes for 5 minutes. Add the red wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add chopped pepper tops and tomatoes. Re-season with salt/pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove peppers from oven and cool slightly. Add the lentils and cheese to tomato mixture. Stir to incorporate. Take each halved pepper and fill with lentil mixture. Place filled pepper back in glass dish and repeat till all pepper halves are filled. Top with a sprinkle of Panko Bread Crumbs. Add a tad of water around peppers. Return to oven for 20 minutes. Serve alongside a salad and garlic bread.

***Your choice of shredded cheese may be used