sauces – Page 3 – The Kitchen Illiterate

Easy White Bean and Tomato Sauce

A few nights ago I found myself rooting through my pantry, trying to think of something easy to make for dinner that would not involve a trip to the grocery store. I wanted something hearty but not unhealthy, something vegetarian, and something that would make for excellent leftovers. I came up with this, and couldn’t have been more pleased. This simple white bean sauce makes an excellent topping for just about anything you can imagine. I ate it first on top of a mashed potato, with a little Parmesan and bread crumbs. I ate some of the leftovers with pasta, and some over simple grilled chicken. These would be terrific with polenta, or in an omelet or frittata, or mixed with some extra broth to make soup. Talk about versatile. This is most assuredly a new kitchen staple.
Continue reading Easy White Bean and Tomato Sauce

Simple Fresh Tomato Pasta

This summer is flying by, so quickly it’s kind of nerve-wracking. And it has been an extremely full one, what with moving across country, starting a new job, being visited by friends, traveling for work, and spending a glorious week on Puget Sound with a group of some of my favorite people. I have been neglecting this blog, and I have been neglecting my new garden. The lawn is definitely overgrown, but at least it’s still alive. And I’m learning that there is truth in the statement that things in Walla Walla pretty much grow themselves: my tomatoes are thriving through no work of my own.

So what do you do with tons of cherry tomatoes? You make very simple and summery pasta dishes.
Continue reading Simple Fresh Tomato Pasta

Ravioli worth bleeding for, from Russo & Sons

I apologize to those of you who are not located in the Boston area right now. I’m about to make you extremely jealous. Last weekend I finally trekked out to Watertown, getting lost in the maddening labyrinth of Boston streets, irritating the crap out of the boyfriend, whom I dragged unwillingly with me, and I discovered at the end the best grocery store in Boston: Russo & Sons. My housemate had been telling me about this place for over a year, and I am kicking myself for not taking her advice and getting out there sooner.

Russo’s is a glorious wonderland of produce, artisanal cheese, fresh baked bread, charcuterie, more produce, and even more glorious produce. I found things I’ve never been able to find anywhere else, including Queso Fresco (and you have no idea how upset I’ve been that I haven’t been able to find Queso Fresco). The only problem? Holy crap, that place was PACKED. It was nearly impossible to maneuver my cart around the store, and sadly, I’ve been told it’s like this even on weekday afternoons. I wasn’t able to explore all the wonderful things Russo’s had to offer, but I did buy half a pound of those beautiful porcini mushroom ravioli you see above. And I must say they were the best ravioli I’ve ever had.
Continue reading Ravioli worth bleeding for, from Russo & Sons

Quintessential Summer Dinner: BBQ Chicken, Potato Salad, Corn, and Biscuits

I told you I ate a lot of great food in San Diego. The best part of my trip was being able to enjoy awesome meals with my family and friends. There is something perfect, something I miss everyday living here in Boston, about sitting at a table with people I love, sharing food and conversation. I grew up in a house where family dinners were important: I remember waiting every night for dinner until everyone was home from work and school and practice and whatnot before we sat down to eat, and now that I’m an adult (ahem, ha ha) I realize how great, and perhaps uncommon, it is that my parents brought us up like that. So, thanks ma and pa. You guys are rad.

The last night I was in San Diego, my aunt and uncle and their two kids came for dinner, and we cooked up this way-too-classic summer dinner: barbecue grilled chicken, corn on the cob, German potato salad, and buttery biscuits. The only thing missing, perhaps, was apple pie. But we had vanilla ice cream with strawberries instead, which is pretty perfectly summery itself. And this dinner was truly a group effort. I made the barbecue sauce and biscuits, Mom made the potato salad, my brother’s grilled the chicken and corn, and Dad entertained us all, the goofball.

Continue reading Quintessential Summer Dinner: BBQ Chicken, Potato Salad, Corn, and Biscuits

Chicken Mole Poblano

Who would think that a seemingly innocent sauce could leave behind such destruction and havoc? That little measuring cup of mole you see above caused the biggest mess I think my kitchen has ever seen, and left me in its wake, exhausted and covered head to foot in sauce. I gave almost three hours of my evening over to making chicken mole (and cleaning up after it), but in the end, it was totally worth it. No, it didn’t turn out exactly as I expected, but then, I didn’t even really know what to expect, having had mole only once in my life before.

It took me awhile to figure out why none of the recipes I found for mole poblano contained poblano chiles. They generally all use chipotles, anchos, pasillas, anaheims. No poblanos. Then I discovered that poblano is also the name of someone who lives in Puebla, Mexico, the region where mole was pretty much invented. Aha. Well, I’m not sure my mole is in any way Puebla-style. I used the chilis I could find: guajillos, cascabels, chipotles, and a mild, light green pepper which, frankly, I can’t identify and was only labeled “chili” at the supermarket. You gotta love grocery shopping in New England.

Continue reading Chicken Mole Poblano

Polenta and Vegetables with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

While my chocolate creme brulee may have been a triumph, since then I’ve experienced nothing but culinary catastrophes. “But that food doesn’t look catastrophic,” you may be thinking. That just goes to show that my new camera has more talent in the kitchen than I do. That, my friends, was a burned vegetable, bitter sauce disaster. In fact, the original sauce is NOT the sauce pictured above. The original sauce had to be thrown away because it was horrible and could not be salvaged with all the spices in my gigantic spice rack. I ended up using basic tomato sauce, because I needed something to cover up the taste of burnt asparagus.

I hate it when meals I’ve been anticipating turn out to be completely not rad.

Continue reading Polenta and Vegetables with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Andouille and Shrimp with Creole Mustard Sauce

Andouille sausage-y pasta

I have to give a big thumbs up to Bon Appetit for this one: It is fast and easy and absolutely delicious. And I managed to throw it together last night after a few beers, when normal food preparation can sometimes be a challenge for me. True, it didn’t end up quite as saucy as the picture promised, but that is quite likely entirely my own fault for not adding as much mustard as the recipe suggested. Being a relative newcomer to the love of mustard, after all. Regardless of whether you choose to preface your cooking with a night of Guitar Hero at the local pub, it is very worthy of Monday night dinner. And Tuesday night dinner. And even Friday and Saturday night dinner. It is gooood.

Continue reading Andouille and Shrimp with Creole Mustard Sauce

Saffron cream sauce, refrigerator pasta, and my new pizza peel

Pasta in saffron cream sauce

Now that the semester is finally over, I’m looking forward to some cooking and some baking and, yes, some blog posting. To kick off the good times, I have a few things to share that I actually did get around to cooking over the past few weeks. I know you’re thrilled.

That up there? That some extra special pasta with a saffron cream sauce. I had a similar dish in two different restaurants, and both times I swooned into my plate and vowed to attempt such a feat in my own kitchen. And for such an incredible dish, it’s actually pretty easy to pull off. Other exciting news? Pizza has returned! I finally got myself a nice, wood pizza peel. Any future disasters with sticky dough and topping-flinging have been averted, and I must say, the first pizza I made using this excellent tool was pretty sweet. The pizza peel is my hero. Pizza experimentation will resume in full force.

And last night? Last night was clean out the refrigerator night, and I managed to put together a delicious dinner in about 15 minutes, and achieve some winter-time comfort to boot.

Continue reading Saffron cream sauce, refrigerator pasta, and my new pizza peel

Talk about the Old Country: Pierogies with Tomatoes, Browned Onions, and Dill

Oh delicious potato dumplings

Update: Want to see a new and improved version of this recipe? Here ya go.

I have a serious weakness for pierogies. Little pasta pockets filled with mashed potatoes and cheese? What could be better? I usually pan fry them with just a bit of oil and butter, so they are crispy on the outside and warm and creamy on the inside. I have been known to make an entire meal of nothing but pierogies, on those nights when I’m feeling the need for comfort food. So when I saw this recipe on epicurious, I knew I would have to try it. It seems a little easier to justify eating pierogies for dinner when you put tomatoes and stuff on them, at least to me. I’ll take any reason to justify eating things that are really not that good for me. Putting broccoli in macaroni and cheese makes it health food, right?

So one cold day last week, I figured it was time for a pierogie dinner.

Continue reading Talk about the Old Country: Pierogies with Tomatoes, Browned Onions, and Dill

Chicken in Creamy Chive Sauce and Some More Pork

Creamy Chive Chicken

Oy. Once again, time has gotten away from me and I find myself sharing something I cooked a week and a half ago. It was so delicious, though, that I can’t just relegate it to the files of the never posted. And look, Ma, a balanced dinner! I made this for Mr. X and was all worried that it wasn’t going to be that good: I got the recipe from Eating Well, and have found it to be a little hit or miss (my Mediterranean Pasta Bake was kind of bland, even after I added seasoning to the original recipe). This recipe, for Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce, was a winner.

Continue reading Chicken in Creamy Chive Sauce and Some More Pork