Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Cognac-Cream Sauce and Baby Pea Shoots

I hope I'm not starting to sound like a Foodbuzz broken record, but once again they've sent me a tasty treat to try and review. I promise, I'm not totally in their pocket!

This time I was sent a package of Buitoni Riserva Wild Mushroom Agnolotti to try. I'd been seeing the advertisements for this in Gourmet and Bon Apetit and was thinking of trying it out anyways.

I'm a marketing director's dream - show me enough pretty pictures and I'll try anything. I may not go back for seconds, but I'll at least try it once.

I'm notorious for watching TV (back when I had a TV) and after seeing an advertisement developing a huge craving for whatever they were advertising. It's pathetic really.

This time the product has lived up to the hype, though. The ravioli were truly outstanding - some of the best storebought ravioli I've ever had.

I actually just took a moment to google the other Foodbuzz blogger reviews and it appears that just about everyone likes them. We may sound brainwashed, but I assure you they really are quite impressive for a grocery store selection.

I know that next time I need a quick meal I'd be more likely to pick these up then the ravioli I've chosen in the past from the freezer section.

I must admit after first opening the package they didn't look all that fantastic, but they more than made up for it with flavor. I thought it was kind of silly that they promote it as 'wild mushroom' ravioli filled with cremini and portabello mushrooms. First of all, they're the exact same mushroom, merely at different stages of maturity. Secondly, they're both cultivated - not wild.

But, no matter. They were tasty. I won't complain anymore about silly marketing ploys.

I decided to participate in the contest Foodbuzz and Buitoni are holding for a sauce recipe, so I made a cognac-cream sauce with sauteed creminis and baby pea shoots. It's a simple recipe, very easy and quick to make, and has a pleasant complexity of flavor that really complements the ravioli.



Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Cognac-Cream Sauce and Baby Pea Shoots

1 9 oz package Buitoni Riserva Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
4 medium cremini mushrooms, sliced
50 ml Courvoisier, or other cognac (50 ml is one of those little airport size bottles, about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 pint heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
baby pea shoots
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Cook the shallots and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and cooked through. Remove the mushrooms to a separate plate, cover with tin foil to keep warm.

In the same skillet pour the cognac, be very careful if using a gas stove - the cognac will ignite if poured over the flame. Let the cognac boil until reduced by half. Add the cream all at once, bring to a boil stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce by half.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water with 1 tablespoon of olive oil about 3-5 minutes, or until ravioli float to the top. Strain the ravioli and add to the skillet with the cream sauce. Allow to cook further for about 2 minutes.

Plate several ravioli, topped with half the cremini mushrooms and a generous handful baby pea shoots. Serve immediately.

Meatballs in Broth with Little Pasta

I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong with a combination like meatballs and pasta. Granted, usually they're in a more traditional application like spaghetti and meatballs, but this adheres to similar guidelines. Well seasoned, highly flavorful meat and sauce/broth to cover up the fact that I'm too damn lazy to make my own pasta and I buy the tastes like cardboard stuff.

You know, the same guidelines everyone follows.

This soup really does rely on the quality of a good broth, so ideally use homemade. I know, it's a pain, but homemade stock really is the foundation of a good soup. So get to boilin'.

This would look way cooler if you used a pasta like ditalini - but tiny shells like these will do in a pinch. You know, the kind of pinch that involves not wanting to drive to the grocery store to buy ditalini.

That kind.

Meatballs in Broth with Little Pasta

24 oz. broth/stock (chicken or beef, choose your poison)
1 1/2 cups little pasta
8 oz. ground beef
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
2-3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, minced
1 egg
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
salt and black pepper to taste

grated parmesan and chopped parsley to garnish

In a bowl combine beef, garlic, parmesan, parsley, egg, and breadcrumbs until thoroughly combined. Shape into 1/4 oz (about half the size of a quail egg) meatballs. Bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot. Add meatballs and boil for 5 minutes. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Serve hot with parmesan and fresh parsley to garnish. Pairs well with a Sauv Blanc and crusty bread.

Steak-Stuffed Manicotti

It seems that typically manicotti is filled with a near flavorless, texturally-nightmare inducing amalgamation of ricotta, Parmesan, and if you're lucky some herbs and salt. I'm not a big fan. While I love ricotta as much as the next bird, I prefer it to be mixed in with something of substance to provide a break in the rather gag-inducing texture - or baked in a cheesecake, you'll get no complaints from me on that one.

And so I embarked on a journey to fill a pasta shell with a stuffing of substance, one that would peel through the doldrums of stuffed pastas with it's ring of tummy-filling awesomeness. My manicotti manifestation would transform the world with it's revolutionary play of textures and flavors!

Or I saw an advert in Gourmet for stuffed shells and they sounded yummy.

One or the other. You decide.

I decided to go a very non-traditional route with these babies for really no other reason than that I wanted to use up some of the food I already had in the house. I much prefer that than running out to the grocery store to buy all new ingredients.

Blech.

Be resourceful people, we're in a recession here.



Steak Stuffed Manicotti

Serves 2

6 1/2 oz steak
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen chopped collard greens, thawed and drained
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, in small dice
2 oz mozzarella cheese, in small dice
1/2 avocado, mashed
6 manicotti shells, boiled and drained
1 cup marinara sauce, preferably homemade
1 oz Idiazábal cheese, finely grated

Preheat oven to 375 F

Chop steak into 1/4 in dice, it's easier if it's partially frozen. In a skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Cook the shallots until softened, add steak. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When steak is cooked about half-way through add the collards. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a medium mixing bowl. Add minced garlic, cheddar, mozzarella, and avocado. Combine thoroughly. Using a teaspoon, or your fingers (which I prefer), fill each manicotti shell, taking care to fill completely but without tearing the delicate pasta. Lay side by side in rectangular casserole dish. Cover with marinara sauce and grated Idiazábal. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Pappardelle with Chicken and Mushroom Ragu

This is another recipe I found in Gourmet's Gourmet Everyday section. It took a few moments to explain to Mr. TA that this was a ragu.

Mr. TA: "No it's not, ragu is that pasta sauce in a bottle."

Me: "No, this is ragu."

Mr. TA "That's not true, you made that up"

Me: "OK, fine. I'm lying to you. I like to make up words about food I make just to mess with your head."

Mr. TA: "I know. You're sneaky like that."

This is coming from the man that insists I made up the word 'charcuterie.' I have absolutely no idea what to say to that. Umm...no?

So, this stuff turned out pretty bitchin' if I do say so myself. It might be my complete awesomeness as a chef (so not the case) or it may be the 18 year balsamic MiL brought me a few weeks ago. Yeah, I'm going with the balsamic too.



I did make a few adjustments to the recipe, as always. I used shredded chicken from a whole bird instead of thighs, a tin of diced tomatoes in juice instead of whole, egg noodles instead of pappardelle (they def don't sell that at the commissary) and about 5 oz. of frozen, chopped collard greens instead of the arugula. I'm sorry, when I realize the only thing I don't have to make a recipe is the arugala, I'm so not running to the store just for that. Speaking of arugala, have you seen this? And anyone who knows me knows I'm a die hard liberal wildly in love with Barack Obama, so don't leave any nasty comments. I do, however, have a great sense of humor. (I'm humble too!)



Pappardelle with Chicken and Mushroom Ragu

6 ounces cremini mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 pound dried pappardelle
5 ounces baby arugula (about 8 cups)

Pulse mushrooms and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. (I pulsed the onion, diced the mushroom - be a rebel)

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add mushroom mixture, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes.

Add vinegar and cook until evaporated. Add chicken and tomatoes (with juice), then simmer, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon and stirring occasionally, until sauce is just thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pappardelle in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.

Add arugula to sauce and stir until wilted. Stir in drained pasta and cook 1 minute.

Asparagus & Mushroom Orzotto with Feta

I subscribe to a few different food magazines, one of them being Vegetarian Times. I'm not a vegetarian, but I've spent most of my life avoiding most meat. Only recently have I really made meat my main protein source in my diet and that's simply because I've fallen into a rut with cooking. I've been so busy with school lately that it's so much easier to throw a last minute steak on the grill than to actually think up a menu and stick to it. But, my body's not really loving me for it. Plus, I do have a little moral issue with meat. Not all meat, but commercially raised meat. I was raised with a healthy respect for all life, and if something is going to be giving up its life to sustain me then it better be damn well treated humanely while it was on this earth. Modern factory-farming is just not that. It's a horrible, evil thing and I feel like a complete wretch every time I buy meat at the grocery store. I also think that if one is willing to eat meat then one should be willing it kill the animal, but that's a long story and is not the time nor here the place. So, I've been looking through my past issues of VT, hoping to find some healthier alternatives to our meals as of late.

This Asparagus and Mushroom Orzotto recipe was found in the last issue of Vegetarian Times. It was paired with a veg Osso Bucco that sounded particularly delicious. However, I am fundamentally unable to follow a recipe so I ended up changing it quite a bit. First off, I don't usually have vegetable stock, so chicken stock it is - and there goes vegetarian right off the menu. It wanted me to add parmesan, I wanted to add feta, you see, we just weren't getting along. So, as per usual, I just did whatever I felt like.

Thankfully it turned out pretty fantastic.



Asparagus & Mushroom Orzotto with Feta

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced on bias into thirds
6 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup orzo
3-4 cups chicken stock, warmed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup feta, crumbled

Heat olive oil and butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and saute 2 minutes. Add asparagus and mushrooms, and saute 5 to
7 minutes, or until mushrooms start to release their juices. Add 1/2 cup orzo and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add remaining orzo, and cook
3 minutes more, or until all pasta bits are browned. Stir in 1/2 cup vegetable broth,
parsley, and thyme, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until orzo has absorbed all liquid, stirring often. Continue adding broth to orzo 1/2 cup at a time until all liquid is absorbed and orzo cooked through. Remove from heat, and top with feta and a crack or two fresh ground black pepper.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Who doesn't love spaghetti and meatballs? Well, other than communists. That's right, nobody. It's as American as...everything else we stole and bastardized from other nations?

This definitely went much better than last time I made meatballs. These ones turned out perfectly. Pretty much the only way I'll eat spaghetti is if I've made the sauce myself. Sure, I'll use bottled when I'm feeling totally lazy for lasagna or to mix with other stuff, but if it's just getting heated and then put in my mouth? No thank you, sir. I'll pass on the flavorless, artificial colorings, preservative enhanced blech. Of course, unless I'm feeling lazy. Seriously, folks. When I'm tuckered out I'll throw my principles out the window faster than that lady with the baby and the bathwater. I'm easy like that, what can I say?

Want to know the secret to fantastic spaghetti and meatballs? Don't top with grated parmesan - top with grated Roncal. It's a sheeps milk cheese and makes all the difference. MiL introduced me to Roncal and I can't thank her enough. It's superb and really adds an additional nuance of flavor.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (28 oz) tin petite diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) tin tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) tin tomato paste
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar ( If you're not using champagne vinegar, just omit it. Do NOT substitute white or cider vinegar.)
1/4 cup chicken stock (optional)

In a large deep skillet melt butter over medium heat. Cook garlic until fragrant, add onion and cook till softened and nearly translucent. Add basil, oregano, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Mix thoroughly. Add tin of petite diced tomatoes and incorporate completely. Allow to come to a steady simmer. Add a nice glug of champagne vinegar, approx. 2 tablespoons. Simmer over med-low heat for 45 min-1 hour. If the sauce becomes too thick add chicken stock if desired to thin. Do not shorten cooking time, it's needed to slowly deepen the flavor of the tomatoes and meld the flavors together.

Meatballs

olive oil
1/4 yellow onion, minced very finely
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 saltines, crushed to crumbs
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 F

In a small skillet cook onion over medium heat until softened and translucent. Remove from skillet and cool to room temperature. In a mixing bowl combine ground beef and cooked onion with rest of ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Grease baking sheet with olive oil and shape meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until internal temp reaches 160 F. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles and sauce.

Parmesan Orzo

This is a recipe I found on a recipe sharing website I belong to by a gal who goes by the name of Kittencal. I've tweaked it a little to my liking and I highly recommend it. It's super easy, super delish, and totally worth all those calories.

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup Orzo
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
6-10 fresh basil leaves

1. Melt butter in a heavy skillet(with lid) over medium heat.

2. Add chopped onion, cook until softened.

3. Add Orzo, allow to brown, approximately 4-5 minutes.

4. Add minced garlic, cook for a further 1 minute.

5. Add chicken stock, allow to come to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.

6. Cover, simmer for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

7. Fold in Parmesan and torn basil.

8. Serve immediately.