Spinach and Goat Cheese Pesto

Spinach and Goat Cheese Pesto on Tortellini



Not sure the picture does this dish justice, this is delicious and super easy. It does require a food processor or blender in order to blend up the pesto but its worth it. I literally put the water on to boil and don't start making the pesto until the pasta is in the water. I think this would be really good with the addition of roast garlic, however that would up the prep time.

This is loosely inspired by a walnut and spinach pesto of Rachel Ray's. However, it was far healthier with chicken broth and no goat cheese :)

Spinach and Goat Cheese Pesto

-1 small package of shelled walnuts (100g)
-1 pacakge of pre-washed spinach (250g)
-1 small package goat cheese
-1-2t salt
-~1/3C olive oil
-1 package of cheese tortellini

1. Add the walnuts and half the spinach into the food processor. Pulse until combined and continue adding spinach untill it is all chopped. Use olive oil to loosen if necessary.
2. Add goat cheese and pulse to combine, again adding olive oil to loosen.
3. Once combine add salt to taste - about 2t.
4. Toss with hot (un-rinsed) pasta.

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

I have tried several different peanut butter cookie recipes, martha stewarts, joy of cooking but they all came out a little dry. I like a really chewy peanut butter cookie. This is the best one I have tried and it is pretty fool proof. This time I made it because I had a huge jar of Adams natural peanut butter from costco, and it worked just as well as with the more usual Kraft peanut butter.

It is adapted from a very old and frayed copy of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Oh, and it works great in the kitchen aid :)


-1C butter, soft
-1C white sugar
-1C brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1t vanilla
-1C peanut butter
-3C flour
-2t soda
-1/2t salt

1. Cream shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla.
2. Stir in peanut butter
3. Sift or mix together dry ingredients, stir into creamed mixture.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoon (or tablespoon depending on what you are going for) on a cookie sheet. Press twice with back of floured fork to make a criss-cross.
5.Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Italian Bread

I love a really good crunchy loaf of italian bread so I am on a quest to find a good recipe. I found this recipe on the kitchen aid forums, it was adapted from James Beard's Beard on Bread book. It is designed to be used with a stand mixer. I quite like this recipe because it is quick and simple - and worked pretty well on my first attempt. however I think it needs a bit more salt which I will have to try next time. It makes 2 loaves.


I am sick, so I also made some of my tomato soup. I put the bread together and let it rise (~20 minutes), then started the soup when I put the bread in the oven. They go together great. The bread is also really tasty with some oil and vinegar. Happy munching.

Italian Feather Bread

2 packages of active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Cup warm water (100 to 115 degrees, appx)
1/3 Cup butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 Cup hot water (not boiling)
2 teaspoons salt
5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Proof your yeast with the suger in the warm water in your mixer bowl. As it proofs, melt the butter in the hot water and allow to cool to lukewarm. Combine the liquids in the bowl and add the salt and flour, 1 cup at a time, until it cleans the sides of the bowl. It will still be a bit sticky.

Continue to knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Let it rest for 5 to 6 minutes, then divide the dough in two. Roll each half into a rectangle about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Starting from the wide end, roll this up quite tightly, pinching the seams as you roll.

Butter one or two baking sheets well and sprinkle with cornmeal. (Instead of buttering I used parchment paper.) Place the loaves on the sheets, and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 50 to 60 minutes.

I like my bread crunchy so I created a steamy environment before baking. Place a casserole dish in the oven on the bottom shelf and boil a kettle. When the bread is ready to go in fill the cassserole dish with boiling water.

Brush with beaten egg white and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven 40 minutes, or until the loaves are a rich, golden color and make a hollow sound when you tap the crust, top and bottom, with your knuckles. For even more crunch spritz with water every ten minutes.

Cool on a rack and slice when quite fresh.

Roasted Tomatoes

I have been wanting to try and roast tomatoes for a really long time. I love tomatoes – so how can you go wrong with intensifying the flavour?
I did it with fresh romas, but I bet at this time of the year nice canned ones would be better. Great tossed with some fresh pasta, basil and a little parmesan, but they can be used everywhere. One great breakfast place in town puts them on bennys. Mmm.

-1lb roma or plum tomatoes
-generous olive oil
-salt and pepper

1. Oil a baking sheet with about 1T of olive oil or line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place them cut side up on the sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for at least 2 hours; I left mine in for 3. They should be about halved in size.

Amatriciana sauce

I have just discovered the fabulous Marcella Hazan. In fact, that's not exactly true. I had her recommended to me about a year ago but finally got one of her newer books Marcella's Italian Kitchen a couple of weeks ago. I used it to help learn how to make good homemade pasta and have since been working through her pasta and risotto recipes, I can strongly recommend the savoy cabbage risotto and spinach and tomato pasta. (Sounds a lot less exciting when you don't use the italian names, eh?)

This recipe is actually off her website, I tried it because I happened to have leftover bacon(not pancetta) and cans of tomatoes. I also used homeade linguine rather then the recommended bucatini. I am currently awaiting an order from abebooks.com for her original, and apparently best book, The Classic Italian CookBook. I am quite excited to try her bolognese recipe!

Amatriciana – Tomato Sauce with Pancetta
and Chili Pepper

-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 medium onion, chopped fine
-A 1/4-inch-thick slice of pancetta, cut into strips 1/2 inch wide
and 1 inch long
-1 1/2 cups imported Italian plum tomatoes, drained and cut up
-Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
-Salt
-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
-2 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese
-1 pound pasta

(makese 4 servings)

1. Put the oil, butter, and onion in a saucepan and turn on the heat to medium. Sauté the onion until it becomes colored a pale gold, then add
the pancetta. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Add the
tomatoes, the chili pepper, and salt, and cook in the uncovered pan at
a steady, gentle simmer for 25 minutes. Being careful it doesn't burn. Taste and correct for salt and
hot pepper.
2. Toss the pasta with the sauce, then add both cheeses, and toss
thoroughly again.

Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is one of my ultimate comfort foods. My mum has been making it since I was little and I am famous for being able to recognize the starting smells of it - the onions and garlic sauteing.

This was inspired by beautiful fresh oyster and shitake mushrooms at my local asian supermarket. I also picked up some imported italian crushed tomatoes and bouillon cubes. This is my own creation, so I don't think it is classic or traditional or anything.



-1C arborio rice
-Chicken stock
-Crushed Tomatoes
-2C chopped mushrooms assorted (shitake, oyster, porcini, etc)
-handful chopped parsley
-1/2C parmesan
-salt and pepper
-2 shallots chopped fine
-1 clove garlic, sliced
-1T chili pepper
-3T butter

1. Mix up the chicken stock with the tomatoes and put on the stove so that it comes up to temperature of a very light simmer. Add the crushed chills.
2. Saute the shallots in 1T butter for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, just until a light golden brown. Stir in the rice and let it saute continue stirring for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the white wine and stir until 90% absorbed by the rice.
3. Start adding the stock in ladlefuls. Stirring to let it be absorbed by the rice. Continue this process until the rice is slightly undercooked for your taste - a little al dente, with the majority of the liquid absorbed.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley (reserving some for garnish), remaining butter and parmesan.