Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

This recipe is taken from The New Portuguese Table by David Leite. I used have these when I was a kid, we had neighbours from Azores they would makes these all the time. It's a wonderful tasty treat.

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Yield: Makes 2 cups

Nonstick cooking spray
1 large egg white
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
scant 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups shelled raw pumpkin seeds

Heat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick mat or parchment paper and coat with the cooking spray.

Whisk the egg white in a medium bowl until very foamy. Add the sugar, salt, paprika, cayenne, and cinnamon and whisk well. Stir in the seeds to coat, then lift them up with with a slotted spoon, allowing them to drain, and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Discard any liquid left in the bowl.

Roast the seeds, tossing them several times with a spatula, until puffed and edged with brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gently pry the seeds from the sheet and break up any large clumps into smaller shards. The seeds will last for 2 weeks in an tight container.

Enjoy!

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle

My husband found this recipe through a Food Network search, and he's been after me to try it for a while now...Last weekend I made it. It's a Giada De Laurentiis recipe.

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 oz chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 lbs short ribs
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14 oz) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 lb fresh or dried tagliatelle
4 to 6 tsp shaved bittersweet chocolate

Directions
Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

My thoughts:
I found the prep to be a little messy. But once you have everything in the pot the smell was super delicious and I noticed a lot more traffic into the kitchen, everyone wanted a sniff.

I found it very fatty, so I scooped out as much fat as possible before serving it. The chocolate added a nice taste to the sauce, and the kids got a kick out of having chocolate on "regular food". Taste wise, it was very nice, but wasn't spectacular. That being said, the day after the sauce tasted much better, the flavours had enough time to blend in together, in my opinion.

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

The New Portuguese Table

I got a new cookbook! The New Portuguese Table by David Leite, the pictures are breathtaking and the recipes are super yummy. And I'll be sharing some the recipes here. Where to start??

What's for dinner?

I'm trying out a new recipe tonight. My husband is a fan of meat and potatoes and I wanted a little variety, and I found this recipe over at Food TV Canada.

Bistro Steak On Garlic Croutes And Sweet Potato Frites


Bistro Steak On Garlic Croutes

•4 slices Vienna bread
•1 clove garlic, halved
•4 tsp olive oil
•2 x 8 oz rib eye grilling steak or 2 x 8 oz striploin grilling steak
•2 tbsp cracked green peppercorns or 2 tbsp cracked black peppercorns
•1/4 cup red wine
•1/4 cup beef stock
•1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
•1 shallot or 1 green onion, finely, diced
•2 tsp butter

Sweet Potato Frites

•4 sweet potato
•1 tbsp vegetable oil
•1 tsp dried thyme
•1/4 tsp salt
•1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Bistro Steak On Garlic Croutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Rub bread all over with cut side of garlic; brush with 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of the oil. Toaston baking sheet for 10 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, trim off all but 1/8 inch (3 mm) fat from steak. Roll edges in peppercorns to coat.

In skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat; cook steaks for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until medium-rare inside and browned. Transfer to plate; cover and keep warm.

Add wine and stock to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits. Boil for about 1 minute or until reduced by half.

Remove from heat. Stir in red pepper, shallot, butter and any juices accumulated on plate.

Cut steaks in half; place on croûtes. Pour sauce over top.

Sweet Potato Frites

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Scrub potatoes. Cut each in half lengthwise; cut each half into 3 wedges. (If long, cut in half crosswise.)

In bowl, toss potatoes with oil, thyme, salt and pepper.

Arrange on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Bake, turning once, for 40 minutes or until tender inside and crisp outside.

*Update*
I have to say that the recipe was a success, the husband loved it, Sophster really enjoyed, Master K liked the toast the best and I thought it was very good. My only complaint is that it was pretty messy.

Slow Cooking Thursday

It's Thursday and it's time for Slow Cooking Thursday, which is hosted by Sandra of Diary of Stay at Home Mom.

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I'm planning on doing so very soon. I got this recipe out of a magazine, Better Homes and Gardens: Essential Slow Cooker.

Smokin' Jambalaya

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
4 ounces andouille sausage or cooked smoked chorizo sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thiny sliced
1 14.5 - ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca, crushed
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup yellow sweet pepper, chopped
2 cups frozen okra (optional)
1 14.8 - ounce package cooked long grain rice

Cut chicken and sausage into bite-size pieces. In a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage, onion, and celery. Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, tapioca, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, serrano pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, and cayenne pepper.

Cover, cook on low-heat setting for 6 too 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.

If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in shrimp, sweet pepper, and if desired, okra. Cover, cook about 30 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque.

Prepare rice according to package directions, serve with jambalaya.

Makes 6 servings.

You can find more yummy Slow Cooking recipes by visiting here.

Straccetti

I found this recipe online, at All Recipes. And tried it out recently, and success! My picky eaters devoured it!

Straccetti

1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 (1/2- pound) beef flank steak
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, cut into wedges
2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups beef stock
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp Italian-style seasoning
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese (I used freshly grated Parmesan)

In a large shallow dish, combine 1 cup white wine, Worcestershire and Dijon mustard. Add flank, and turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. After meat had marinated, slice thinly across the grain, and return to marinade.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic. Pour in beef stock. Simmer until sauce is reduced by a 1/3, about ten minutes. Remove beef from marinade, and stir into skillet. Pour 1 cup wine, and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Simmer for ten minutes, or until beef is fully cooked, then add tomatoes, and cook until heated through but still firm, about five minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

Place the cooked pasta into a large serving bowl, and top with the sauce and the grated cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Let me know if you try this recipe. I would love to hear your thoughts!