Pasta with Creamed Yogurt Peas and Feta

A simple one dish meal, big on flavor and so satisfying, this creamy pasta with peas and yogurt is topped with toasted chili pine nuts which add a pop of color and welcome hit of heat.

I read this post on Orangette some time last year and wasted little time before taking Molly’s advice and making this dish. I had every intention of making it again while in Providence visiting my daughter for spring break because this is just the sort of dish she’d love. Sadly, we never did get around to it but, as I head back to Dubai, I figured it was time to share. So she can make it when I’m gone.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 400g whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic
1 pound or 500g fresh or thawed frozen peas
1 teaspoon flakey sea salt (I use Maldon. If you use fine grain sea salt, use a 1/2 teaspoon.)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Scant 1/2 cup or 60g pine nuts
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns or crushed red pepper
1 lb or 500g dried pasta
8 ounces or 240g feta cheese

Method
Process the 2/3 cup or 100g of the peas and the garlic with the yogurt and half of the olive oil in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth and creamy.

 Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, add in the salt and smoked paprika and stir.

In a small saucepan, over a medium fire, sauté the pine nuts and Sichuan peppercorns in the remaining olive oil.

Turn the fire off as the pine nuts start to turn slightly golden and remove the pan from the heat. They will color a little bit more as they cool.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta is lightly salted water according to the package instructions, adding the balance of the peas to the pot when the pasta has just a minute or two left in cooking time.

While your pasta is boiling along merrily, crumble your feta with a fork.

Drain the pasta and peas in a colander. Add the hot pasta/peas a little at a time to the bowl with the yogurt pea sauce and stir well between each addition. Molly says that adding it all at once could cause the sauce to separate so definitely don’t dump it all in.

Add in the crumbled feta and stir.

Serve each bowl topped with a spoon or two of the toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of the chili oil.

Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Butter Sauce Prawns with Linguine

Meyer lemons, thought to be a cross between Eureka or Lisbon lemons and mandarin oranges, are only available for a few months at the beginning of the year. They work well in both sweet and savory dishes, especially seafood.

If you’ve been reading this space for a while, you know that last year, for the very first time, I found myself living somewhere I can buy Meyer lemons.  I brought a bag of six home and spent a great deal of time creating recipes that would let them play an important role. After all, they were not cheap. And, to reiterate, I only had six. This dish was one of our favorites and it’s just perfect for today’s Sunday Supper Valentine Recipes for Two theme.

Ingredients
1 lb or about 450g prawns or shrimp, cleaned and peeled
Sea salt
1 Meyer lemon
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic
2 shallots
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Olive oil
2/3 cup or 155ml dry white wine
1//2 cup or 120ml cream
7 oz or 200g linguine
Generous handful arugula (rocket) or fresh spinach

Method
Thinly slice half of your Meyer lemon.  Juice the other half and set the juice aside.

Split each prawn in two down the middle with a sharp knife and give them a light sprinkle with sea salt.

Mince the shallots and garlic.

In a large non-stick skillet, pan-fry the lemon slices over a medium heat in a drizzle of olive oil.

When the slices are nicely browned, removed them from the pan and set aside. Add in two tablespoons of the butter and let it melt and sizzle.

Now toss in the prawn halves and cook them until they are all curly and just pink through.

Remove them from the pan and set them on the browned Meyer lemon slices.

Add in the last two tablespoons of butter, then the minced shallots and garlic. Turn the fire down and sauté them until they are soft and translucent.

Meanwhile put water on to boil for the linguine.

Add the wine and lemon juice to the shallots and garlic, along with the cherry tomatoes.  Stir well.

 Cook until all of the liquid has almost evaporated, keeping an eye on it and stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile put your linguine in the boiling water with a teaspoon or two of salt. Cook according to package instructions but set your timer for about one minute less than the prescribed time. When the linguine is almost done, toss in the greens, allow them to wilt.

Drain the whole pot through a colander.  Set aside.

When the shallot/garlic pan is almost dry, add the prawns and Meyer lemon slices back into the pan. Give it a good stir.

Pour in your cream and stir again.

Season with some extra salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Divide your pasta into two bowls and then share the creamy, lemony butter sauce with prawns over the top.

Enjoy!

If you are looking for special Valentine’s Day inspiration, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got dishes for two galore today!  Many thanks to our host this week, Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen, who just happens to have the perfect red Valentine kitchen.

Alluring Appetizers:

• Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Ricotta from Casa de Crews
• Kumquat Vanilla Marmalade from Shockingly Delicious
• Southwestern Meatballs wrapped in Bacon from Momma’s Meals

Exquisite Entrees:

• Almond-Crusted Sole with Mushroom Pilaf for Two from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Bacon Crusted Beer Mac and Cheese from Melanie Makes
• Baked Crab Cakes with Lemongrass-Ginger Mayo from The Weekend Gourmet
• Baked Pasta with Sausage and Fontina from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Baked Tilapia En Papillote from It’s Yummi!
• Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo from Cookin’ Mimi
• Drunken Snow Crabs from Family Foodie
• Eggs in Purgatory from Noshing with the Nolands
• Flambéed Veal Chops from MealDiva
• Homemade Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli from In The Kitchen With KP
• Meyer Lemon Butter Sauce Prawns with Linguine from Food Lust People Love
• Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon-Basil Beurre Blanc, Pancetta, Apples and Fennel from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Pan-Seared Scallops with Linguine and Tomato-Cream Sauce from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Roasted Vegetable Lasagna for Two from Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
• Salmon Pakoras from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Swiss Fondue for Two from Curious Cuisiniere
• White Queso Mac and Cheese for Two from Daily Dish Recipes 

Decadent Desserts and Drinks:

• Baked Custard from Magnolia Days
• Cherry Spritzer Ice Cream Float from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Chocolate Budino with Strawberry Hearts from Manu’s Menu
• Chocolate Malt Bread Pudding from Alida’s Kitchen
• Chocolate Marshmallow Duets from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Pots de Crème from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Fresh Berry Parfait with Crème Anglaise from Hip Foodie Mom
• Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Sauce from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Funfetti Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle from Take a Bite Out of Boca
• German Rose Water Sugar Cookies For Two from Killer Bunnies, Inc.
• Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles from Gluten Free Crumbley
• Gluten-Free Deep Dish Hot Fudge Brownies for Two from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Ice Cream Stuffed Crepes with Nutella and Fresh Berries from Neighborfood
• Malawian Mbatata Cookies with Coconut Cream from Happy Baking Days
• Orange-scented Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce for Two from girlichef
• Pecan-Crusted Coconut Custards with Brandied Banana Sauce from The Texan New Yorker
• Pistachio Pudding For Two (From Scratch) from Chocolate Moosey
• 3 Japanese-Style Treats for Your Sweet from Ninja Baking
• Valentine’s Cupcakes with a Surprise from From the Bookshelf
• White Hot Chocolate from Pies and Plots

Shrimp with Fried Onion Dip Sauce

White wine, sour cream and caramelized onions do indeed make a fabulous dip.  They also make a delicious pasta sauce. 

I recently joined a Facebook group that has resolved to cook and bake from the wonderful cookbook, The New Midwestern Table by Amy Thielen.  Our noble leader asked Amy for permission that was kindly granted.  The first recipe chosen was for a great fried onion dip that will have you throwing your dried onion dip packets away!  The flavors are wonderful and, as I discovered on a recent evening, it also makes a fabulous sauce.  If you'd like to join us, just follow the Facebook link and ask.  You don't have to be a blogger to cook along, you just need to love Amy Theilen's new book.

This recipe has been adapted and expanded from Amy Thielen's Fried Onion Dip.

Ingredients, to serve four
For the dip/sauce:
3 tablespoons clarified butter (Follow these simple instructions here from the fabulous David Lebovitz – starting with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter)
1 onion (about 8 oz or 227g, unpeeled)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes and more, if necessary, at the end
Few good grinds black pepper
1 teaspoon honey
3 cloves garlic
1 small red hot chili pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml dry white wine
3/4 cup or about 185g sour cream
1/4 cup or a little less than 60g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish

For the shrimp:
1 1/3 lbs or 600g shrimp or prawns, peeled
Olive oil

For serving:
16 oz or 500g dried pasta

Method
Mince your garlic and chili pepper and chives.  Set aside.  Cut into your onion 1/2-inch or 1cm thick rings.

Heat the clarified butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sprinkle them with the salt and pepper.  Fry the onions on one side until they get brown and caramelized on the bottom then flip them carefully to the other side.

Cook till the other side is caramelized and then turn them over again.   They will probably break apart at this point but that’s okay.  Just keep frying and stirring till you have a nice deep color all over the onion pieces.

Add the garlic and chili pepper with the white wine and the honey.

Simmer until the liquid thickens and just about disappears, which should take about three or four minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Chop your onion mixture finely with a knife and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the sour cream and cream cheese together until they are completely mixed and smooth.  Add in the chopped onion mixture and most of the chives (reserving some for garnish) and mix well.  Check the seasoning and add a more salt, if necessary.

Transfer to a small serving bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to cook your prawns.  Resist the urge to eat the lovely dip with a spoon.

When you are ready to eat, boil your pasta according to package instructions.  While it is cooking, cut your shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

Pop them in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat and sauté until they are cooked and turn pinky orange.  This takes just a few minutes.

Add in the fried onion dip and let it melt into a sauce over a low heat.

Serve the shrimp and sauce over your drained pasta.  Garnish with the extra chives, if desired.

Enjoy! 

Spicy Sausage Pasta

One of the worst aspects of moving is the cost.  I am not talking about the actual packing up and sea freight, because, while that is indeed very expensive, we are fortunate that the company takes care of those charges.  What with wanting us move and all, they ought to.  No, I am talking about the freezer full of food items I have stockpiled, the opened bottles of sauces and vinegars and condiments and spices that cannot make the traveling team but will have to be replaced on the other end.  Ditto cleaning materials.  And don’t even mention the bottles in the liquor cabinet, so hard come by here in Cairo or I might just cry.  Since I have a month plus a week or two to whittle down what cannot come with us, you may see some unusual combinations in my dishes.  And I may well have a few more drunken typing errors than usual. :)  

The other night, I browsed through the freezer and came out with some lovely cured spicy Italian sausage that we had brought back from our trip to Italy.  It looked like Spanish chorizo with its distinctive red coloring and I just knew it would go nicely with pasta and a spicy olive pesto that we had also bought in Italy.  I am into one-pot dishes when possible, so I decided to add in cauliflower florets and some pasta.  Okay, okay.  I had to boil the pasta in another pot, but that was easily washed!  Topped with some freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, this dish was perfectly delicious.  And quick to boot.

Ingredients
150g spicy sausage
5 tablespoons or 80g spicy olive paste (called battuto di olive piccante in Italian)
1 small cauliflower (about 1 1/3 lbs or 600g)
3 cloves garlic
9 oz or 250g pasta of your choice
Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional for serving)

Method
Remove the skin from the sausage, if it has one.  Chop the sausage in small pieces and put them in a large non-stick pan.

Mince the garlic and then add it to the sausage.

Add a drizzle of olive oil and turn the heat on medium low.   Cook the sausage and garlic until the oil renders out of the sausage.

Put your water on to boil for the pasta and cook it according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, cut the core out of your cauliflower and then separate it into florets.

Add them into the pan and stir well.   Cook until the cauliflower is done to your liking, adding a little water if necessary.

Add the spicy olive paste to the pot and tip in the cooked, drained hot pasta.

Toss well.

Serve topped with freshly grated cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!