Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

• One hour, 4 servings
• Ingredients
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small jar (3-4 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, or use 3-4 oz fat-free sun dried tomatoes
• 1 lb chicken breast tenders
• salt
• paprika (just a little bit)
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use Tinkyada gluten free brown rice pasta)
• 1 tablespoon basil (if using dry basil), if using fresh basil you can add more
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (at least, add more to taste)
• 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water (or more)
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Note: if using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), make sure to drain sun-dried tomatoes from oil, before using them. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this drained oil for sauteing as described below:
2. In a large pan, on high heat, sautee garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil) in 2 tablespoons of oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar - see note above) for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant. Remove sun-dried tomatoes from the pan, leaving the oil, and add chicken tenders, salted and lightly covered in paprika (for color) and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat.
3. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water (to stop cooking).
4. Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller bits and add them back to the skillet with chicken. Add half and half and cheese to the skillet, too, and bring to a gentle boil. Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick - don't worry - you'll be adding some cooked pasta water soon. Add cooked pasta to the skillet with the creamy sauce, and stir to combine. Add 1 tablespoon of basil, and at least 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
5. Add about 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water because the creamy sauce will be too thick (do not add all water at once - you might need less or more of it). This will water down the thickness of the cheese sauce and make it creamier. Immediately, season the pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.

From this food blog, by Julia.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Thighs

Serves 4

2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (about 4 to 6 thighs)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 lemon, sliced thin
5 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Drizzle the chicken thighs with olive oil and season them well with pinches of salt and pepper.

Place the thighs in a large, cold cast iron skillet, skin-side down. Place the skillet on a burner over medium heat. Let them cook, undisturbed, for 14 to 15 minutes.

When a lot of the fat has rendered out and the skin is crispy and brown, flip the thighs so the crispy skin is up. Dot the cast iron skillet with lemon slices and thyme sprigs and stick it in the hot oven. Let the thighs finish cooking in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 165° F. If you're in doubt, leave them in for another few minutes.

Serve thighs immediately.

Recipe Notes

• Depending on the size of your cast iron skillet, you might want to brown the chicken in batches so as not to crowd the pan. If you do this, reduce the time on the second batch, as the pan will already be hot. Then you can transfer the thighs to a baking dish to finish in the oven.
• Chicken thighs can vary wildly in weight. In the same package, you may have some that weight 4-5 ounces and some that weigh as much as 8 ounces. Don't stress about it; you can cook them all together. Two smaller thighs or one larger one is a good serving size.

These are great, even if you accidentally overcook them!

Dinner templates

I've been playing with the idea of one skillet meals with dinner templates, and making up what I do with them. The kitchn had a great series last winter that included posts about dinner templates. Look it up here!

I've also enjoyed some of the other suggestions in this series, like using pasta in one skillet meals like a topping (not as the main bulk of the meal, but as an enhancer).

Kale Salad with Apricots, Avocado, and Parmesan

Serves one

6-8 ounces of kale (Tuscan or dino kale are particularly fantastic)
6-8 dried apricots
1/3 or so cup cooked beans (I love Good Mother Stallard beans, but also try cannellini or pinto beans)
1/4 or so cup almonds
8-10 flakes of Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 avocado
salt and pepper

Fold a piece of kale in half lengthwise and use your fingers to tear out the tough inner stem. Repeat with the other leaves of kale (you can save the stems to use in stir-fries, sauces, or soups). Tear all the leaves into bite-sized pieces and put them in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Cut the apricots into little bits and add them to the bowl with the kale, along with the beans, the almonds, and the cheese. Whisk together the oil and vinegar (or shake it in a small canning jar). Pour the vinaigrette and a healthy pinch of salt over the salad and use your fingers to toss and rub everything together. Transfer the salad to a bowl or a lunch container (if eating later).

Just before eating, slice the avocado into cubes and spoon them over the salad. This salad will keep for about 24 hours, preferably refrigerated.

From the kitchn, posted here.

Gnocchi Skillet with Chicken Sausage & Tomatoes

Serves 4

1 pound gnocchi
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
9 ounces (about 3 links) cooked chicken sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick coins
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 to 2 ounces fresh basil, julienned (1/2 to 1 cup loosely packed)

Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling; cook the gnocchi for 2 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.

Heat a 10-inch or larger cast iron skillet over medium heat with a light drizzle of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Push the sausage into a pile at the edge of the skillet and turn the heat up to high.

When the skillet is quite hot, add the tomatoes, skin down, crowding them in if necessary. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are blistered, then stir in with the sausage. Cook for 2 more minutes, until both tomatoes and sausage are slightly browned. Stir in gnocchi and cook just until all is combined, but the tomatoes have not broken down into sauce.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

• Any cooked chicken sausage is good in this dish, although I do prefer one with a little extra flavor added, like red peppers or garlic.
• I specify a cast iron skillet because I think it gives the best color and sear to the tomatoes and sausage. However, any deep skillet or sauté pan should work as well, provided it doesn't have a nonstick coating, which will interfere with browning.

From the kitchn, posted here.

Three Sisters Stew

• 1 pound trimmed pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
  1 teaspoon ground cumin
   Kosher salt, as needed
   Black pepper, as needed
  2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
  1 large yellow onion, diced
  3 garlic cloves, minced
  4 cups turkey or chicken stock, preferably homemade or low-sodium
  1 medium yellow squash, diced
  1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
  1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
  1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  1 (4-ounc) can roasted green chiles (1/2 cup)
  ½ bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  Preparation: 
  1.    Season pork with cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add pork, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.
  2.    Add onion to pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Return pork to pan, along with stock and squash, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
  3.    Add beans, tomatoes, corn and chiles and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until stew has thickened, about 40 minutes. Add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  
  
  Adapted from “A Taste of Wyoming: Favorite Recipes From the Cowboy State,” by Pamela Sinclair, via the New York Times, here.

Sweet and Spicy Barley with Beans and Bacon

This is like homemade baked beans, with barley.

1 cup dried navy beans
8 oz. slab bacon, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
One 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup pearled barley
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
up to 2 T. chopped pickled jalapeno rings, or 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauced, minced

Soak the beans 12-16 hours in a big bowl of water. Drain.

Fry the bacon until it just begins to render its fat, stirring occasionally, in a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium heat.  Add the onion; cook until both have browned a bit, stirring often, about 4 more minutes. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Lock the lid onto the pot, and raise the heat to high until pressure is reached. Cook for 18-20 minutes at pressure, reducing heat as much as possible while maintaining high pressure. Use the quick release method to bring the pot's pressure back to normal, unlock the lid and open the pot. Stir well before serving.

From the Great Big Pressure Cooker Book, by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Beet Slaw

Simple salad in the New York Times Magazine this week.  Oddly, I forgot to add the saffron when I made the dressing.  It was still good, and used most of our beets.

Beet Slaw with Saffron Aioli

1½ pounds beets
⅓ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 chopped shallot
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnishing
Saffron

Shred beets. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and a crumbled pinch of saffron. Toss with the beets, shallot and parsley. Garnish: More parsley.

Beet Risotto

2 medium beets, trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 T. unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. orange zest
1 cup arborio rice
2 T. raspberry or lemon vinegar
pinch sugar
1 T. sour cream or yogurt cheese

Put beets and bay leaf in a saucepan with 4 cups water, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered until the beets are cooked through (about 40 minutes, depending on size). Remove the beets, strain the water and discard the bay leaf, and pour the beet cooking water back into the saucepan.

Skin the beets. Chop 1 beet and set aside. Pure the other beet in a food processor, return to the strained broth, and bring the broth to a simmer. Keep it on a gentle simmer, covered, over low heat.

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Add onion and orange zest, and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the chopped beet and stir well. Add the rice and stir until it's well coated with the seasonings and glistening, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Using a ladle, add about 1 cup hot broth. Stir constantly over medium heat until the broth has been absorbed. Add another ladleful and keep stirring until it's been absorbed. Continue the process, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and stirring this way until kernels are plump and no longer chalk white in center. This should take 25 to 30 minutes altogether. It's almost done when the kernels are still separate but starting to bind, and there are pools of broth on the surface. It's done when the liquid has been absorbed, and the kernels are bound in what looks like very ricey, yet somewhat creamy, rice pudding.

When the risotto is done, stir in the sugar, sour cream or yogurt cheese, and stir well to blend.

This is from Diane Shaw's Almost Vegetarian. My changes: double the butter (I used salted), used balsamic vinegar (what I had), add more water after the broth is gone, skip the sugar, and just about triple the sour cream. We added a bit of salt at the end, and grated some fresh parmesan on top. Very nice.

Tropigal Granola

Maybe I'm wishing for spring, and even pretending that when it gets here it will be warmer like summer. Maybe I was just dreaming of being on vacation in the Bahamas with Gwyneth. Who knows. But here goes: granola modified from this recipe at Joy the Baker, who modified it from Martha Stewart. I am, by the way, very enamored of Joy the Baker. Have I mentioned chocolate peanut butter pretzel sea salt brownies lately?! But I digress....back to the granola.

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup slivered raw almonds

1 cup whole raw almonds

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (the Whole Foods bulk coconut is great)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

approximately 3 oz. dried unsweetened mango slices, snipped into small pieces

approximately 4 oz. dried tart cherries, cut in half (I used Montmorency cherries from Trader Joe's)

Place a rack in the upper third and middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line one large or two small baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together oats, whole almonds, slivered almonds, sweetened coconut cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt together butter, oil, honey and brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Carefully whisk together so it’s well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract. Pour the warm mixture over the oat and almond mixture and toss together with a wooden spoon, ensuring that all of the oat mixture gets moistened by the sugar and oil mixture.

Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet(s) and bake for about 25 minutes, removing the oats to stir and toss on the pan twice during baking. Remove from the oven, letting cool and turning over/breaking up every few minutes until it is almost room temperature and relatively dry. Mix in cherries and mango pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Even Kels likes this. I would like to make this with macadamia nuts next time, but it was a spur of the moment thing, and at that moment, Trader Joe's was out of them. But--for the record--when they have them, they are both good and affordable.

Dry roasted granola

I like making granola, but most recipes are fairly heavy and sweet.  I have never cared much for the raw taste of muesli.  Here is a nice in-between version, with toasted oats and nuts, and a little brown sugar, that I found while browsing The Enchanted Broccoli Forest recently.

DryRoast Granola
1 cup raw rolled oats
⅓ cup chopped nuts
⅓ cup wheat germ
⅓ cup sesame seeds
⅓ cup sunflower seeds
⅓ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt

Use a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron). Toast the oats and nuts over medium low heat, stirring continuously for 5 minutes.

Add wheat germ, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut and dried fruit. Heat and stir for another 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in brown sugar and salt. Cook for 2-5 more minutes, still stirring. Remove from heat, cool, and store in an airtight container.

 From The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, via SparkRecipes

Enchanted Broccoli Forest

I cook from the original Moosewood Cookbook a lot more often than from its followup, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.  I never even realized until recently that the title was actually a recipe in the book, with little broccoli trees standing in a brown rice casserole.  It doesn't get any more Moosewood than that.  We had to try it.  The lemon butter broccoli was pretty good, but the casserole was bland.  I would double the onion and salt, and maybe throw some more vegetables in.

Enchanted Broccoli Forest

1 1-lb. bunch of broccoli, cut into spears and steamed until just tender

2 cups brown rice, cooked in 3 cups water until just done

Juice from 1 lemon combined with 2 tbsp of melted butter

Sauté:

1 tbl. butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 large clove crushed garlic

½ tsp salt

½ tsp dill

Lots of black pepper

½ tsp dried mint

cayenne pepper, to taste

Sauté together until onions are soft and translucent.  Add to the cooked rice.

3 large eggs

¼ cup parsley

1½ cup grated grated cheddar or Swiss cheese

Beat together well, then add to the rice mixture and spread into a buttered 8"x8" pan.

Arrange the broccoli trees upright in the bed of rice mixture and drizzle with lemon butter.  Cover gently but firmly with foil.  Bake 30 minutes at 325°F.

From The Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Chicken and Dumplings

Found a good recipe on Epicurious for chicken and cornmeal dumplings.  There were a lot of alternative chicken & dumpling recipes, including an unappealing low-fat version and one from 1963.  This one was pretty good, I left out the turmeric and we didn't have parsley, and next time I would think about a wider pot to give the dumplings more room.

Chicken Adobo

This is a nice take on chicken adobo that was in the New York Times Magazine a few weeks ago.  I have made the version in Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook often, but the recipe below is spicier and more interesting.  The coconut milk added some smoothness (fat) but surprisingly little taste.  It would be interesting to try with more coconut milk.

Chicken Adobo
by Sam Sifton

1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup soy sauce
1½ cup rice vinegar
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 whole bird’s-eye chilies or other fiery chili
3 bay leaves
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs.

1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large, nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic freezer bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

2. Place chicken and marinade in a large lidded pot or Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, around 30 minutes.

3. Heat broiler. Transfer chicken pieces to a large bowl, raise heat under the pot to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until it achieves almost the consistency of cream, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and chilies.

4. Place chicken pieces on a roasting pan and place under broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Remove, turn chicken, baste with sauce and repeat, 3 to 5 minutes more. Return chicken to sauce and cook for a few minutes more, then place on a platter and drizzle heavily with sauce. Serves four. Adapted from Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, Purple Yam restaurant, Brooklyn.

Sauteed Hakurei Turnips & Braised Greens

 What to do with tender little turnips?  Try this:

Sauteed Hakurei Turnips & Braised Greens

1 bunch Hakurei turnips with greens
1 lb greens such as chard, mizuna or spicy lettuce mix
2 tsp oil, divided
½ cup water, apple juice or white wine
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Cut the greens from the turnips. Wash and tear all the greens into large pieces and remove the stems. Cut the turnips into bite sized pieces.
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sautée the turnips stirring or tossing occasionally until they are crispy outside and tender inside. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a warm plate.
In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat.
Add the washed and wet greens, and add to pan in batches. Stir and mix as they wilt.
Add the wine or other liquid and cook until it is mostly evaporated.
Plate greens and arrange the warm turnips on top

Culinary School of the Rockies

Free-Form Apple Onion Tart

Pastry:
1½ cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
8 T. butter
1 T. white vinegar
4-5 T. ice water

Onions:
1 lg. red onion, peeled, root intact
2 lg. spanish onions, peeled with root intact
2 T. olive oil
2 T. dijon mustard
3 T. thyme
salt/pepper
3 T. balsamic vinegar

Apple Filling:
4 golden delicious apples
2 T. butter
2 T. sugar
pinch of nutmeg

Pastry: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt, and pulse to sift together. Add the butter, pulsing to mix until the mixture resembles sand. Mix together the vinegar and 4 T. water. Mix vinegar mixture into the flour, enough that the dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board, and knead until smooth. Shape into a flat, round, cake. Wrap in foil and refrigerate 20 minutes.

Onions: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut each onion into 6-8 wedges, keeping some root on each piece to hold together. Mix olive oil, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the onions, and toss gently to coat. Arrange onions in a baking dish, rounded sides down. Sprinkle with vinegar. Cover with foil, roast for 45 minutes. Remove foil, roast for 30 minutes more, until very tender.

Apples: Peel, core, and quarter apples. Cut each quarter into 3 pieces. In a large skillet, melt butter, add apples, and sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Set oven at 400° F. Roll out dough on a floured surface to about 9x11 inches. Transfer to floured baking sheet. Place apples on dough, and onions on top of apples. Curl up edge of dough around filling. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until pastry browns.

From the Boston Globe, probably 15 years ago but I don't have the original recipe--Jay sent me a copy.

Asian Eggplant

From Bon Appetit, via Epicurious.

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stems trimmed
5 tablespoons canned low-salt chicken broth
2 green onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1 small jalapeño chili, chopped
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

4 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1 1/4-pound eggplant, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-wide slices and slices cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide-strips

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Combine cilantro, 1 tablespoon broth, green onions, garlic, chili and ginger in processor and puree until paste forms.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot. Add half of eggplant. Cover skillet and cook until eggplant is tender and beginning to brown, turning once, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining eggplant.

Add cilantro paste and soy sauce to skillet and stir over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Return eggplant to skillet and add remaining 4 tablespoons broth. Stir until sauce thickens and boils and eggplant is heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

Cabbage and Carrot Stir-Fry with Toasted Cumin & Lime

Serves 6

1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 T. canola oil
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black peppercorns
1/2 jalapeno, seeded, ribbed, and finely chopped
6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 2/3 medium cabbage)
2 cups julienned or grated carrots (about 3/4 lb.)
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
1 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
2-3 T. fresh lime juice

Toast 1 tsp. of the cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and beginning to smoke, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.

Heat the oil with the remaining 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, the coriander, and peppercorns in a large wok, and cook until the cumin is browned. Add the jalapeno and cook until sizzling and just starting to soften, 30 to 60 seconds, and then add the cabbage and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage has wilted yet is still al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the freshly ground cumin, salt, and sugar and cook for 30 seconds.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice and taste for seasoning. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. From Fine Cooking.

Heirloom Tomato Bread Pudding

Heirloom Tomato Bread Pudding

Makes 12 servings
Prep: Approx. 15 minutes (so they say...after you chop/grate everything)
Cook: Approx. 55 minutes

1 pound of brioche or hearty white bread (I used a really nice roasted garlic farmhouse loaf)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups small onions - diced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, peeled, seeded, drained and diced
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
7 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and toast the bread, turning as needed, until golden brown (about 10 minutes).

2. Heat the oil and butter in a saute pan. Add the onions, and cook until translucent (about 6 - 8 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until aromatic (another 3-4 minutes). Combine with the tomatoes and herbs in a large bowl. Reserve.

3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl just to combine. Add the milk, cream and salt, and stir lightly.

4. Mix the bread in with the tomato/onion mixture. Toss the Asiago with the bread and tomato mixture.

5. Butter eight 8-ounce ramekins and divide the mixture among them.

6. Pour the eggs and milk mixture over the bread mixture, dividing equally among the ramekins. Top each with Parmesan cheese.

7. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and fill the dish halfway up with boiling water to create a hot-water bath. Bake for 35 minutes and then broil until the top is crispy and browned.

Serving Suggestion: Place each ramekin on a dish, accompanied by a side of lightly dressed greens.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Barbera d'Alba, such as Renato Corino Barbera d'Alba, 2007.

Source: Chef Michael Schwartz - Premier Issue 'Yum Food & Fun' magazine. Found online here, and only modified slightly.

I needed more ramekins than they said, though I don't know how large mine are (relatively large, though). Also, I wasn't paying attention and grated both cheeses into the same container. So I tossed all of the cheese with the bread mixture, and there wasn't any on top. It was easier and surely just as good. This is amazing!

Summer Squash Soup with Pasta and Parmesan

From Cooking Light, and found online here. This soup makes the most of fresh summer herbs and squash.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 2 1/4 cups uncooked farfalle (about 6 ounces bow tie pasta)
• 2 cups finely chopped yellow squash
• 2 cups finely chopped zucchini
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparation

Bring broth and water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta, and cook 8 minutes or until almost tender. Add squash and the next 7 ingredients (through pepper). Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until pasta is done and squash is tender. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

We liked but didn't love this, but it might have paled in comparison with the tomato bread pudding from the same meal.