I am currently enjoying my last week of vacation on Lake Emma in northern Wisconsin. My husband and daughter just left after being here for ten days, and although I miss them, I do enjoy being alone.
“Vacation” is probably not the word I should use since it implies that I am not at home. When I really think about it, here is where I am most at home, where I am the most “me.”
Of course, that is in large part due to the fact that I was born and raised in northern Wisconsin and spent most of the first 30 years of my life in this state. (Yes, that makes me middle-aged AND a Yankee.)
But the main reason my heart lives here even when my body is elsewhere is because no matter what the weather, no matter what the season (o.k.--winter, not so much), Lake Emma is breathtakingly beautiful.
And in the summer it is most beautiful starting around 6:00 p.m. when the water is usually glassy and calm. Then, I take the kayak out into the middle of the lake and just drift and daydream. If I’m lucky, I can sneak up on the resident pair of loons or spy a deer drinking at the edge of the water.
When I get back to shore, I love to cook something easy and tasty for dinner and take it outside to eat at the table on the deck. In the summer, the sun doesn’t set here until after 9:00 p.m., so I have lots of time to continue relaxing and enjoying the beauty before me.
In the following dishes, you’ll notice the common ingredients of olive oil, lots of garlic and pasta. More than any other kitchen chore, I LOVE to prep garlic—chop it, slice it, or even smash it. And who doesn’t love pasta? Even though these are single-serving recipes, they are easily doubled, even quadruppled.
Shrimp Scampi Solo
For some reason, when I am on my own I crave shrimp and pasta. Maybe that’s because my husband believes that noodles and seafood just don’t “marry” well together. I disagree and find this garlicky scampi delicious.
Source: original recipe
Yield: one serving
Ingredients:
¼ lb. spaghetti
2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly cross-wise
2 T. butter
7 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half
¼ c. white wine
2 T. lemon juice
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes)
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Process:
Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Remove the garlic from pan and reserve. Add the butter to the remaining olive oil in the pan, and add the shrimp. Sauté the shrimp until they are beginning to become pink and opaque. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to boiling. Add the reserved garlic. Continue cooking the shrimp until they are just opaque but tender. Season the shrimp tomato with Tony’s (or salt, pepper and red pepper) to taste. Pour the shrimp-garlic mixture over drained pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Fresh Tomatoes and White Beans on Pasta
This is my simplified take on Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans). With all this garlic and a whole can of beans, I don’t think I need to explain why this might be a dish best eaten when you’re on your own.
Source: original recipe
Yield: one serving
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly cross-wise
3-4 tomatoes
¼ lb. spaghetti
1 15-oz. can Great Northern beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired)
¼ c. grated, fresh Parmesan cheese
Process:
In a large frying pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add the tomatoes and blanch for 20-30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes from the water (keep water boiling in pan) and submerge them in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente; drain.
“Vacation” is probably not the word I should use since it implies that I am not at home. When I really think about it, here is where I am most at home, where I am the most “me.”
Of course, that is in large part due to the fact that I was born and raised in northern Wisconsin and spent most of the first 30 years of my life in this state. (Yes, that makes me middle-aged AND a Yankee.)
But the main reason my heart lives here even when my body is elsewhere is because no matter what the weather, no matter what the season (o.k.--winter, not so much), Lake Emma is breathtakingly beautiful.
And in the summer it is most beautiful starting around 6:00 p.m. when the water is usually glassy and calm. Then, I take the kayak out into the middle of the lake and just drift and daydream. If I’m lucky, I can sneak up on the resident pair of loons or spy a deer drinking at the edge of the water.
When I get back to shore, I love to cook something easy and tasty for dinner and take it outside to eat at the table on the deck. In the summer, the sun doesn’t set here until after 9:00 p.m., so I have lots of time to continue relaxing and enjoying the beauty before me.
In the following dishes, you’ll notice the common ingredients of olive oil, lots of garlic and pasta. More than any other kitchen chore, I LOVE to prep garlic—chop it, slice it, or even smash it. And who doesn’t love pasta? Even though these are single-serving recipes, they are easily doubled, even quadruppled.Shrimp Scampi Solo
For some reason, when I am on my own I crave shrimp and pasta. Maybe that’s because my husband believes that noodles and seafood just don’t “marry” well together. I disagree and find this garlicky scampi delicious.
Source: original recipe
Yield: one serving
Ingredients:
¼ lb. spaghetti
2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly cross-wise
2 T. butter
7 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half
¼ c. white wine
2 T. lemon juice
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes)
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Process:
Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Remove the garlic from pan and reserve. Add the butter to the remaining olive oil in the pan, and add the shrimp. Sauté the shrimp until they are beginning to become pink and opaque. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to boiling. Add the reserved garlic. Continue cooking the shrimp until they are just opaque but tender. Season the shrimp tomato with Tony’s (or salt, pepper and red pepper) to taste. Pour the shrimp-garlic mixture over drained pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Fresh Tomatoes and White Beans on Pasta
This is my simplified take on Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans). With all this garlic and a whole can of beans, I don’t think I need to explain why this might be a dish best eaten when you’re on your own.
Source: original recipe
Yield: one serving
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly cross-wise
3-4 tomatoes
¼ lb. spaghetti
1 15-oz. can Great Northern beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired)
¼ c. grated, fresh Parmesan cheese
Process:
In a large frying pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add the tomatoes and blanch for 20-30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes from the water (keep water boiling in pan) and submerge them in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, remove the tomatoes from the water. Peel the skin from the tomatoes, halve, core, and squeeze to remove seeds. Roughly chop tomatoes. To the garlic and olive oil in the frying pan, add the tomatoes and beans. Increase the heat and cook until lightly simmering. Season tomato and bean mixture with Tony’s (or salt, pepper and red pepper) to taste. Pour the tomato-bean mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Serving suggestion:
The tomato-bean mixture is hearty enough to eat without the pasta. Adding a can of chicken broth to the mixture would make it a quick and satisfying soup.
Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Ham
When I am preparing to leave our house on Lake Emma, I try to use up all the leftovers I’ve acquired during my stay, especially the fresh ingredients. This recipe was born out of what was left—a half an onion and a few springs of basil left over from a salad I’d made, some deli ham I used for sandwiches, cream I used for my coffee, a nub of Parmesan, and, of course, leftover spaghetti. But this dish was so good, I think I’ll make it “on purpose” next time. All measurements are approximate.
Source: original recipe
Yield: one to two servings
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
½ onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly crosswise
2-3 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
6 slices deli ham, chopped in ½-inch pieces
½ c. white wine
½ c. water (or pasta cooking water, if cooking fresh pasta)
¾ c. leftover spaghetti (or ¼ lb. freshly cooked, al dente)
2 T. light cream
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-2 T. chopped fresh basil
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt) to taste
Process:
In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Add the tomatoes and ham cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, water, and pasta and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is hot. Add the cream, pepper, basil and cheese and stir to coat the pasta. (I suggest beginning with a small amount of pasta and adding to achieve the desired consistency.) Season with Tony’s or salt to taste.
When I am preparing to leave our house on Lake Emma, I try to use up all the leftovers I’ve acquired during my stay, especially the fresh ingredients. This recipe was born out of what was left—a half an onion and a few springs of basil left over from a salad I’d made, some deli ham I used for sandwiches, cream I used for my coffee, a nub of Parmesan, and, of course, leftover spaghetti. But this dish was so good, I think I’ll make it “on purpose” next time. All measurements are approximate.
Source: original recipe
Yield: one to two servings
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
½ onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly crosswise
2-3 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
6 slices deli ham, chopped in ½-inch pieces
½ c. white wine
½ c. water (or pasta cooking water, if cooking fresh pasta)
¾ c. leftover spaghetti (or ¼ lb. freshly cooked, al dente)
2 T. light cream
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-2 T. chopped fresh basil
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt) to taste
Process:
In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Add the tomatoes and ham cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, water, and pasta and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is hot. Add the cream, pepper, basil and cheese and stir to coat the pasta. (I suggest beginning with a small amount of pasta and adding to achieve the desired consistency.) Season with Tony’s or salt to taste.
Five-Ingredient Frittata
Still using up stuff in the fridge! I’m calling this “Five-Ingredient Frittata” because it contains 5 items I’d like to use up before I return home to Baton Rouge. Frittatas are great “kitchen sink” dishes—you can put anything and everything in them as long as you have a few eggs.
Source: original recipe
Yield: one serving
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced cross-wise
¼ c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained
2 eggs
½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt and pepper to taste)
¼ - ½ c. cooked spaghetti
½ tsp. dried basil
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
Process:
In a medium frying pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. (Am I repeating myself?) Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving the olive oil in the pan. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the Tony’s (or salt and pepper). Pour the eggs into the frying pan and “sprinkle” the spaghetti evenly over the tops of the eggs. Then sprinkle the garlic and tomatoes over the spaghetti. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set on the bottom (run a spatula under the frittata to release from pan) but still unset on top. Sprinkle the basil and cheese on top of eggs.
To finish the frittata, there are 3 options. For the “Top Chef”: flip the frittata in the air and “catch” it in the pan. Cook for a minute or so until set. For the “Sous Chef": place the pan under a broiler briefly until the top is set, but not brown. For the rest of us: place a plate on top of the pan. Flip the frittata onto the plate and slide the unset side of the frittata back into the pan. Cook for a minute or so until set.
No comments:
Post a Comment