Thursday, February 14, 2013

A fine Valentine's

I am basking in contented satiate at the moment.

Our Valentine's Day meal, eaten at home, was Linguine with Calamari and Garlic; roasted asparagus; salad of romaine, bibb, baby lettuces, tomatoes, avocado and radishes, dressed with spices and olive oil. We enjoyed a Hendry Primativo, which burst forth with spells of wonder when we brought forth the dessert, the vegan chocolate mousse that was featured last week in the New York Times. 

And to make it all perfect, the love of my life took the day off. We're almost to our 24th anniversary, and I hope we'll have 24 more!

Linguine with Calamari and Garlic

Bon Appétit,  December 1996
Serves: 2

Ingredients
1/2 pound linguine
4 rolled anchovies with capers, from 2-ounce tin; anchovies crushed, oil reserved
1/2 pound cleaned calamari (squid), thinly sliced crosswise
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Instructions
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat reserved oil from anchovies (about 2 tablespoons) in large skillet over medium-high heat with garlic. Add calamari and toss just until opaque, about 1 minute. Add crushed red pepper and crushed anchovies with capers and stir 1 minute. Add white wine; boil until sauce is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Mix in basil.
Add pasta to mixture in skillet. Toss until heated through and sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if pasta seems dry, about 2 minutes. Divide pasta and calamari between 2 pasta bowls and serve.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Mex to the max, revisited


Photo by Kate Miller, stolenmomentscooking.com
Last night, I made chicken taquitos, one of my favorite quick and easy meals (I usually have a bag of chicken tenders in my freezer because they thaw quickly and always taste great).

I blogged about how to make these several years ago, but I came up with a time- and paper-saving tip, so I thought I'd share the recipe again.

If serving with rice and beans, your beans should be cooked and on low, and you should start the rice before assembling the taquitos, since rice will stay warm up to 30 minutes after it’s done.

Lori K’S Easy Chicken Taquitos
Serves 2

Ingredients
6 corn tortillas
Oil
6 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts, cut into 3 strips each
Garlic salt
Cumin
Chili powder
Salsa or guacamole for dipping

Instructions
Heat about a quarter-inch of oil over medium heat in a frying pan that’s just a little larger than the tortillas.

Put the tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean dishtowel. Microwave for a minute.

Season the chicken tenders or strips with a light dusting of the spices. Roll up each piece of chicken in a softened tortilla and secure with a toothpick.

Put three taquitos in at a time, seam side down. Brown on all sides (the toothpicks can come out after the first side is browned). The chicken will be thoroughly cooked, yet tender and moist inside. Drain on a paper towel. Keep the first three warm while cooking the rest.

Serve hot with the salsa or guacamole.