Creamy Lemon Rotini with Arugula and Broccoli

I vaguely remember the bones of this recipe from a midnight viewing with the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten. I was curled up in bed with a hot toddy and a smile; Ina was flitting around her gorgeous home in the Hamptons whipping up the sort of food that makes cucumber sandwiches look like saltines. It was magical.

This dish, with its tangy yet smooth and lemony sauce, would be perfect on it's own or as a side, and it holds up remarkably well as a cold leftovers.

Cut a small head of broccoli into florets and discard the stems. Boil in salted water for about five minutes, or until broccoli is tender but firm. Remove them from the pot and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

In a hot pan, combine two minced garlic cloves with a half a cup of white wine and reduce by half. Pour in a half a cup of heavy cream and the juice and zest from one large lemon. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the saice begins to thicken, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook a half a box of rotini according to the instructions, just shy of al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, along with the broccoli and a healthy handful of baby arugula (don't worry, it will cook way down). You can also add a few slices of whole lemon at this point; they serve no actual purpose, but make the dish look spiffy and professional. Mix to coat everything, and continue cooking another five minutes or so. This dish feeds two comfortably.

To serve, top with crumbled feta and finely diced tomatoes. You can also add grilled chicken or even steak strips to this recipe, but my suggestion would be the best turkey meatballs.

Roma Tomatoes Stuffed with Ricotta and Basil

This is my take on a classic Italian combination: tomatoes, basil and mozzarella (or in this case, mozzarella's byproduct ricotta). It is a simple dish that works perfectly as appetizer, side or even a snack on its own.

Preheat the oven to 400. Start by mixing a small container of ricotta with 8-10 finely chopped basil leaves, the yolk from one egg and salt and pepper to taste. Take six to eight roma tomatoes (depending on size) and slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of the tomatoes and pat the inside dry with a paper towel. Set aside.

Put a cup or so of breadcrumbs in a bowl, and set up a bit of an assembly line. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the tomato halves, filling them to the edge but not overfilling. Place the tomatoes in the breadcrumbs, cheese-side down, to coat the tops, then place on a baking dish. When all of the halves have been prepared in this manner, place the baking tray in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until brown and delicious.

Honey & Tequila Glazed Carrots

My best friend has been making traditional glazed carrots for years around the holidays. Baby carrots, brown sugar and butter, baked till soft. It is simple, classic, and amazingly scrumptious. Since there is no way I could ever improve upon her recipe, I decided to take it in a new direction.

Actually, that sounds more altruistic than it is. In reality, I had planned on using up a small bag of carrots with her exact recipe, only to find out I had no brown sugar in the pantry. Never fear though, for I always keep a large stock of honey on hand. But honey and butter as a glaze on their own seemed a little lackluster to me. That's when I noticed the bottle of tequila sitting on the back counter.

The recipe is still simple. Preheat the oven to 350. I used about ten small carrots, peeled and cut into one inch diagonal sections, but baby carrots would suffice. Just make sure you have enough carrots to cover the bottom of whatever baking dish you have without piling them too deep. Boil the carrots in enough salted water to just cover them for about fifteen minutes or until they are just starting to soften.

While the carrots are boiling, prepare the glaze: one stick of unsalted butter, a quarter cup of honey, and a tablespoon or so of your favorite tequila. Heat until the butter melts, stirring often, then remove from the heat and set aside. At this point you can take a shot of tequila for yourself. This step is optional.

Remove the carrots from the water and let them drain on a papertowel. This step is important in order for the glaze to stick. If you peeled your own carrots as I did, this will also give you a chance to find and remove any errant skin remnants.

Once the carrots are dry, put them in your baking dish (the one I used was 8" square) and cover with the glaze. Stir to coat, then place the dish, uncovered, in the oven. After fifteen minutes, stir the carrots again to make sure all bits are glazed, then cook an additional fifteen minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for a solid ten or fifteen minutes to firm up, then enjoy. If carrots were candy this is what they would taste like.

Braised Chuck Roast with Lentils

A few weeks ago I bought a four dollar bottle of wine that changed my life. Dark, dry and full of tannins, it was a wine that worked perfectly for me - a wine strong enough to compete with lamb and beef, but drinkable enough to enjoy on its own.

Recoleta is a Malbec/Bonarda blend. The bottle describes it as "a full-bodied smooth red, full of blackberry and raspberry flavors with a hint of spice." I call it amazing. The first time I took a sip, I was convinced: this is not just a great red for drinking. No, this wine aspires to more. This wine was born to braise.

And so, after a long arduous day of shopping I was in the mood for some braised lamb. Turns out Fresh & Easy was all out of my preferred quadruped, so I reached for a beef chuck roast, mainly because it was the cheapest cut they had. Actually, including the bottle of wine, it cost me a grand total of $17.34 for the ingredients, of which I only used half. We'll see what I come up with for the rest tomorrow.

Anyway, on to the beef. Braising is a simple process. Brown the roast on both sides in a very hot pan with a little olive oil. I placed halved roma tomatoes cut side down in the pan when I turned the beef over and let them cook a bit as well. The tomatoes add a great acidity to the dish and are served along side the beef. If you have an aversion to tomatoes, please stop reading and immediately seek therapy. Then, try substituting a bit of balsamic vinegar for the tomatoes.


When the meat is browned remove it from the pan and set aside. I added a half a red onion, sliced, and a couple cloves of minced garlic. Cook until the onions are soft, just short of caramelized. Place the beef and the tomatoes back into the pan and pour in the wine till it comes about halfway up the side of the beef. Any higher than that and this would be called 'Stewed Chuck Roast with Lentils.'


Speaking of lentils, now is a good time to get those started. Lentils are traditional Italian fare for the new year so I thought it was fitting. The cooking process is even simpler than the braising: just add two cups of water to one cup of lentils and cook until the liquid has been absorbed. At the end the lentils will pop open and soften. Resist the tempation to add salt while cooking, as it makes the lentils tough. You can season after.


After about fifteen minutes of braising the beef should be done. Remove it and the tomatoes and set aside. Strain the braising liquid to remove any onions and garlic, then turn the heat up to high and reduce the liquid to a sauce. Assemble thusly: roast, tomatoes and lentils go on the plate first, some of the neat purple onions over the lot, then the amazing wine sauce on top. It tastes more difficult to make than it is.


And of course, try the Recoleta, it's the best four bucks you'll ever spend.