Grandma's Gravy

Remember that time I told you the story about the silly little Irish girl who went to college and smothered her pasta in Prego? Well that same silly girl also thought gravy was what you put on a turkey at Thanksgiving (yes, she used to eat turkey—I told you she was silly). Turns out when you are Italian, gravy is way more than a condiment. It is a way of life. It runs through your veins, pores seeping with basil and garlic. It is stashed by the pound in your freezer, for impromptu family get-togethers, which most certainly call for trays of ravioli and red sauce. If you are not lucky enough to be born Italian, you will have to do the next best thing—marry the cutest Italian boy you can find. If you are lucky like me, you husband will have a sweet grandma who doesn’t know just how good her cooking is, but is always willing to share.

Part two of this story, goes something like this…About a month back, I made this gravy one Sunday afternoon. I didn’t look at the recipe card, as I knew it by heart—garlic, tomatoes, olive oil and basil. We enjoyed it that night and my husband proclaimed, “this might be better than grandma’s gravy”. Proud, that I could finally live up to the family name, I didn’t realize until later that I had left the can of water out of the original recipe. Now I am not saying one recipe is better than the other, I am much smarter than that, and wouldn’t want to lose my status as favorite daughter-in-law (yes, I am the only one). But I will say one thing—the Irish girl can whip up a mean batch of gravy.

Grandma’s Gravy
serves one big Italian family

3 T olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 28-oz cans Pastene Kitchen-Ready peeled tomatoes
1 can water (optional)
1 bunch basil, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

In large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add garlic, and sauté 3-4 minutes, until garlic begins to brown. Add tomatoes, water (if using) and basil. Cover and simmer at least 2 hours. Season, to taste.

Broccolini Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving—welcome to December! This weekend kicks off a super busy month for me, with my girlfriends are visiting Saturday night for an early holiday get-together. I am trying out a few new recipes, so there will be plenty of ideas to follow in the coming weeks, as well as holiday menus.

I wanted to start with this simple broccolini salad, which upon first glace may look unassuming. But look closer and you will see hot pink! That is the amazing color of the cranberry vinaigrette. I am thinking it would make a terrific holiday hostess gift. Perhaps in a pretty bottle, with recipe ideas attached? I know will be enjoying it many times in the winter months to come. For salad variations, I may leave out the gnocchi for a lighter fare or switch up the cheese (feta, would be nice). However, I find the almond flavor and crunch to be essential, so won’t be touching that!

Broccolini Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
serves 4 as a side dish

dressing
1/2 c fresh cranberries
2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
2 T water
1 T Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper

salad
1bunch broccolini, long stems trimmed
2 c cooked gnocchi
1 c thinly sliced fresh spinach
1/2 c crumbled ricotta salata
1 c toasted, sliced almonds

In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients. Puree until smooth, and set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add broccolini, and cook 3-4 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Shake well, to remove all water, and transfer to a bowl. Add gnocchi, spinach, ricotta salata and almonds. Toss to combine and divide among serving plates. Top with cranberry vinaigrette and salt and pepper, to taste.

Exotic Mushroom Gravy

A few of you have asked about a mushroom gravy recipe, so I whipped up a batch last night. I hope it will reach you in time for Thursday’s holiday. I am eager to enjoy it atop all the Thanksgiving goodies—although I couldn’t resist tasting a spoonful as it was cooking.

The gravy is quite simple to make and can certainly be made a day ahead to save time (just add a bit of water, if necessary, to return to desired consistency). I threw mine in the freezer since it was a few days too early. So, if you have leftovers, or want to make a double batch to enjoy later, that is always an option. It is delicious over butternut squash ravioli.

The gravy is thickened by the mushrooms and a bit of cornstarch. But if you enjoy a thicker gravy, feel free to stir in a teaspoon or two of flour. Really, it is all about tweaking recipes to suit your tastes.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful holiday with family, friends, and delicious food. Enjoy!

Exotic Mushroom Gravy
adapted from Gourmet . serves 4

1 lb mixed dried exotic mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, chanterelle)
1 c water
2 T butter
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 T soy sauce
1/2 c dry red wine (or red cooking wine)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T cornstarch, dissolved in 1 c vegetable broth and 1/2 c water
1/2 t sugar
1 T fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, parsley), finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine mushrooms and water. Let sit 8-10 minutes, until mushrooms are supple. Remove mushrooms, reserving liquid, and finely chop.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and sauté 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. Add mushrooms, reserved liquid and soy sauce. Sauté, 3-5 minutes, until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown. Add wine and vinegar, stirring, 2-3 minutes, until liquid is evaporated. Add cornstarch mixture and sugar, stirring well. Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in fresh herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Blueberry Sauce

Speaking of blueberries...The lovely Zoe of ZOMTBAKES put me up to the challenge of creating a healthy sweet. I’ve had blueberries on the brain recently, so I decided on a delicious naturally sweetened blueberry sauce.

The recipe and additional photos can be viewed here. And don’t forget to check out Zoe’s other delicious treats—this Pear & Ricotta Tart is one of my favorites.

Collard Green & Olive Pesto

As you know, I have an affinity for unusual pestos, but this collard green pesto may be the oddest I’ve ever made. I came across this early last summer, after searching for collard green recipes. I had received such an abundance from my CSA and was flat out of ideas. After a few rounds and few tweaks, it quickly became a favorite and I found myself anxiously awaiting the fall harvest of collards. I find it interesting that a pesto recipe with no basil and no cheese still tastes like, well, pesto.

Now, if you are not an olive lover, this recipe is probably not for you. I mean, it is called Collard Green & OLIVE pesto, right? However, if I have scared you, you could decrease the olives, and taste from there. The olives bring a wonderful saltiness, that I happen to love. But since 90% of what I cook is savory, that is not a surprise. Here I enjoyed the pesto on a panini with roasted red peppers, red onions and lettuce, and have leftover pesto to enjoy later in the week.

Collard Green & Olive Pesto
adapted from Gourmet

6 large collard green leaves, center stems removed
12-15 large pitted Greek olives (I used green and a few kalamata)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 c water
1 t balsamic vinegar
3 T pine nuts
1/3 c sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t salt
1/3 c olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add collards, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain, pressing to extract excess water. Coarsely chop. In a food processor, blend olives and garlic until finely chopped. Add collards, water, vinegar, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, cayenne, pepper and salt, and pulse until well chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, until well blended. Season to taste.

Green Pea Pesto with Walnuts

I did not grow up eating pesto and I am not sure when I had my first taste, but pesto and I have had a love affair for years now. Prior to visiting Italy last August, my husband’s friend gave us directions to this tiny sandwich shop that was located close to the Duomo. Not knowing the name, the line out the door was indication enough that we had found the right place. We devoured our sandwiches in seconds, licking our fingers for every last drop. Not only was it the best pesto we had ever tasted, but it was the best meal we had in Italy hands down. And those Italian know how to cook. To say that I would go back to Florence just to visit this sandwich shop is by no means a stretch. And although they have got me beat when it comes to the standard basil pesto, I certainly love experimenting with pesto variations at home. There has been a sun-dried tomato version and one with collard greens and olives—just to name a few. So the thought of a green pea variety really piqued my interest. Unlike most pesto, it is completely vegan. And while you will not miss the cheese, the walnuts are essential. If you do not like walnuts or are allergic, try pine nuts or add a bit more salt.

Green Pea Pesto with Walnuts
adapted from Whole Foods . serves 4

1 lb penne (I used whole wheat)
1 1/2 c fresh green peas (or frozen)
3/4 c packed basil leaves
2 T lemon juice
1 T capers, drained
1/3 c olive oil
1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil and add penne. Cook 7-10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.

In a food processor or blender, blend the peas, basil, lemon juice and capers. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, and blend until combined. Add to serving bowl with pasta and mix well. Add walnuts and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Orange-Ginger Dressing

I like to plan at least one day a week as an “easy night”. Even if the week looks slow and I actually have everything under control, there is bound to be a day I’m exhausted and just need a quick healthy dinner. Since I’m not really one for frozen foods, I like to refer to my simple file and plan ahead for something that can be ready super quick. This usually saves me from ordering a large pizza and shoving piece after piece in my mouth as the guilt seeps in. Usually. This week I picked up sushi and a bag of edamame at Trader Joe's all the while thinking about the seaweed salad I used to eat almost daily in college from Mr. Sushi. I thought a sweet ginger dressing would taste well with most bitter greens, so I grabbed arugula for the salad. The dressing comes together in seconds and is so fresh over greens with sprinkled sesame seeds.

Orange-Ginger Dressing
serves 4

3/4 c vegetable or peanut oil
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 medium garlic cloves
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 T sesame oil
3 t juice from an orange
2 t soy sauce
1/2 t red pepper flakes

In blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Blend until very smooth. Drizzle over your favorite bitter greens or use as a marinade for tofu or chicken.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.