Spaghetti with Fire-roasted Tomato Sauce

Dinner 3.30.2012: Spaghetti with Fire-roasted Tomato Sauce

Spaghetti with Fire-roasted Tomato Sauce

Fire-roasted Tomato Sauce (olive oil, red onion, kosher salt, fresh thyme, white wine, minced garlic, black pepper, fire-roasted tomatoes, marinara sauce, stock, little sugar, chopped parsley, grated parmesan) - toss with al-dente spaghetti and garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

Spinach Salad with Egg and Herb Toast

Dinner 3.28.2012: Spinach Salad with Egg and Herb Toast

Spinich Salad with Egg and Herb Toast

Hard Boiled Egg - in a small sauce pan bring water to a simmer. poke a little hole into the flat side of the egg and gently drop the egg into the simmering water. Set the timer to 12 minutes - be sure water does not come to a boil, but stays at a low, gently simmer. Cool eggs under cold running water to stop them from cooking.

Herb Toast (toast, herb butter of your choice or home-made compound butter)

Salad Dressing (olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, pepper, honey, herbs de province) - or you can use any dressing you like. Toss spinach and tomatoes or any other lettuce and vegetables of your choice with dressing and top with boiled egg and herb toast. Season egg with a little salt and peper.

Bruschetta Toast with Poached Eggs

Lunch: 3.28.2012: Bruschetta Toast with Poached Eggs

Bruschetta Toast with Poached Eggs

Bruschetta Toast (toast,TJs Bruschetta)

Poached Eggs (eggs, white vinegar or white balsamic) - in a sauce pan bring water to a gently simmer, add enough vinegar so you can taste just a little in the water. swirl the pater you get a 'funnel in the center. Crack the egg into a small bowl before dropping it into the center of the 'funnel'. Cook the egg for 2-2.5 minutes in hot water; make sure it does not come to a simmer. Remove egg with a slotted spoon and drain water on paper towels.

Salad Dressing (olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, pepper, honey, herbs de province) - or you can use any dressing you like.

Toss the salad (I used  baby arugula) with a little dressing; put a little bed of salad to the plate, top with slice of toast, Bruschetta, more salad, poached egg and season with Salt and pepper. Simple, but simply good!

Spaghetti with Mock-Meatballs

Dinner 3.26.2012: Spaghetti with Mock-Meatballs

Spaghetti with Mock-Meatballs

I like to eat a simple tomato bolognese because it is quick and easy to make; I do like meatballs as well, but sometimes I just don't have the time to make 'proper' meatballs (with egg, etc.) and form them into little balls. So, I found the perfect way to have meatballs for dinner and eat them, too ;)

Spaghetti with Mock-Meatballs (~1lb ground sirloin, Panko bread crumbs, kosher salt, pepper, dried thyme, olive oil) - mix all ingredients. Heat the oil in a sauce pan until shimmering. With your hands simply take bite-size pieces of the meat mixture and drop them into the pan. Cook them on all sides until staring to brown. Remove meatballs, pour off excess fat to reuse pan to make the tomato sauce (see below), return meatballs to sauce and gently simmer for about 30 mins.

Sauce (olive oil, diced onion, kosher salt, mock-meatballs, fresh thyme sprigs, white wine, chicken stock, marinara sauce, dried thyme, pepper, little sugar) - toss with al-dente spaghetti and garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

Add stock, marinara sauce, thyme, salt, pepper and a little sugar.

Deglaze with a little white wine. 

Mock-Meatballs with sprigs of fresh thyme.

Pesto Linguine, Roasted Carrots, Salmon

Dinner 3.21.2012: Pesto Linguine, Roasted Carrots, Salmon

Pesto Linguine, Roasted Carrots, Salmon

Pesto Linguine (spinach, parsley, garlic, pine nuts, grated parmesan, olive oil, kosher salt, pepper) - I use my Breville Controll Grip chopper attachment to make the pesto.

Roasted Carrots (olive oil, roll-cut carrots, kosher salt, pepper, chopped parsley) - start the carrots on the stove top and finish in the oven for 10-20 minutes @ 375F.

Salmon (salmon fillets, kosher salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, lemon wedge) - start on stove top, flip and finish ~4-8 min @375F oven.