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Posts Tagged ‘Tuscany’

Tuscan Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on September 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Back on the if it’s from Tuscany it must be good bandwagon.  Not because I believe that Italian food from Tuscany is the best but because Wegman’s latest Menu magazine is themed on the Mediterranean Diet and the flavors of Tuscany.  So now I’m exploring and experimenting with these recipes. 

This is a great soup for a Sunday night supper, served with a great baguette or with Miche bread which is a blend of whole wheat, rye and white flour. 

Tuscan Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Tuscan Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Tuscan Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Makes 6 cups – Active time 15 min – Total time: 55 min.

1/2 tsp Wegman’s Tuscan Seasoning Shak’r **

1 TBS olive oil

1 1/2  lb cauliflower florets

Salt and pepper to taste

1 carton of vegetable stock (32 oz)

Italian grated Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 350º

Add Tuscan seasoning and olive oil in a large bowl; mix to combine.  Add cauliflower florets ; toss to coat.

Arrange cauliflower in single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Roast 35-40 minutes, turning halfway through, until browned and tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add roasted cauliflower to stock in large pot.  Bring to boil on HIGH; reduce heat to LOW; simmer 5-8 minutes until cauliflower is soft.

Purée soup to desired texture; season to taste.  Garnish with grated cheese.

recipe from Wegman’s Menu Fall 2014

** I bought a bottle of Tuscan seasoning and I would have to cook with every day for a year to use it all I’m sure.  And if you don’t live near a Wegman’s, you can make a version of your own.  I’m  going to list the ingredient list and I think if you pick out what you think are the essentials you’ll be fine.  I was going to do that because the shelf was empty where the shakers were but Nick, an employee on the floor went in the back and found a case and brought me one.

2.82 oz.

Ingredients

Salt, Mustard Flour, Turbinado Sugar, Black Pepper, Allspice, Chili Pepper, Coriander, Turmeric, Cayenne Pepper, Nutmeg, Fenugreek, Cardamom, not more than 2% Silicon Dioxide added to prevent caking.

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The Mediterranean Diet – Tuscan Pasta Tonight (Vegetarian)

Posted in Everyday Food, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

Saturday night supper was pretty damn good if I say so myself.   I didn’t think I would jump on the all things Tuscan are good bandwagon, but I seem to hitching a ride here and there.  Last week, Wegman’s sent out their Menu Magazine and the theme of this Fall edition is Mediterranean Fresh Italian – The Flavors of Tuscany/Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.  I’m sure everyone of you has read and heard about this diet, it has been around for years. 

The Mediterranean Diet is about eating more fruits and veggies, whole grains, seafood, a glass of wine, and good fats-like olive oil.  Pasta, dairy and meat are part of it too, but with smaller portions – more like side dishes than main courses.  It all sounded fine until they got to the pasta being a side dish instead of the main course.  So, much like practicing Cafeteria Catholicism where one picks and chooses which ideologies and Vatican rulings they will adhere to, I decided to follow the recipe for this delicious vegetarian pasta dish BUT of course it was the main course.

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

2 TBS olive oil

2 Leeks  or 8oz. pkg. finely chopped

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Medium fennel bulb, cleaned, trimmed, cored, 1/2 ” dice

2 Jars of Wegman’s Tuscan tomato sauce*

1 lb Whole Wheat Penne Rigate**

1/2 tsp salt

1 Bag of Baby Arugula (5oz)

4 TBS of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Heat oil in braising pan on MED heat, add leeks and garlic.  Cook, stirring about 2 minutes until translucent.  Add fennel, reduce heat to LOW.  Cook 10 minutes until softened.  Add sauce, stir.  Let simmer 5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta, 1 cup of reserved pasta water and salt.   Simmer 2-3 minutes.  Add arugula, toss and top with Parmigano-Reggiano cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with extra grated cheese.

This is recipe is from Wegman’s Menu Magazine

* Wegman’s sells Tuscan sauce in a 17 oz. jar.  I purchased 1 jar as it is a little pricey;  The ingredients are basically tomatoes, onion, basil.  It is darker than most jarred sauces which I think may be because it is cooked down to a richer sauce.  I bought a jar of Chunky Marinara (twice the size, half the cost).  I used half of the Marinara sauce and added a little more basil.

** The recipe calls for Whole Wheat pasta so I thought “okay I’ll try it because maybe the sauce has enough flavor to overcome the cardboard taste and texture of whole wheat pastas.  WRONG!   I know it’s healthier but that pasta is dismal tasting.  I can only imagine how fantastic this dish would have been with a nice Barilla penne.  Never again….

 

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Tuscan Baked Beans a/k/a Fagioli Al Uccelletto

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

TUSCANY

TUSCANY

It’s Tasty Tidbits Tuesday!  You know I love to cook on the weekend, especially at the shore because the kitchen is bigger although the stove is smaller as is the oven.  The real reason I love cooking in New Jersey is the accessibility to several marvelous grocery stores and two magnificent fruit and vegetable stands.  Believe they don’t call New Jersey the Garden State for nothing! Unabashedly, Wegman’s is my favorite grocery store and I love making the recipes in their seasonal MENU magazine.  This recipe for Tuscan Baked Beans is in the latest edition.   I don’t know if it was meant to be a main dish but it certainly would satisfy a vegetarian or vegan.

1 pkg dry Great Northern Beans OR 4 cans of Great Northern Beans undrained.

9 cups of water* (only needed it you use the dry beans)

24 leaves of fresh sage OR 20 if you are NOT using dry beans

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, OR 1 if you are NOT using dry beans

1/2 cup of Extra Virgin olive oil, divided

1  1/2 pkgs of chopped onions.  (12 oz)

4 cloves of garlic, finely diced

8 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 TBS salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup basting oil (olive oil with Italian herbs in it)

2 cups of Panko bread crumbs

You’ll need a stockpot* and a braising pan

** indicates usage with the dry beans

*Place sorted and rinsed beans in stockpot.  Cover with about 2 inches of water, tilt cover to vent and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain the beans.  Put the beans and 9 cups of fresh water in the stockpot. Heat on HIGH uncovered, until boiling.  Skim off as much foam as possible.  Add 4 leaves and 1 sprig of rosemary to the pot.  Reduce to MEDIUM.  Cover, tilting to allow steam to vent.  Cook one hour, do not stir.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in braising pan on MEDIUM.  Add onions and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Chop 20 sage leaves and sprig of rosemary, add to onion mixture.  Cook 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

Check beans for tenderness. If not quite tender, cover completely and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Add beans and liquid to the onion mixture in braising pan.  Stir to combine. Drizzle remaining olive oil and bake for 60 minutes.  Beans will be done when liquid is syrupy and bubbly.  Carefully remove from oven, season with salt and pepper.

Mix basting oil and panko crumbs in small bowl.  Place mixture over beans and return to oven, bake 20-30 minutes until topping is brown and crisp.

This makes enough beans to feed 8 people. It tastes great, REALLY!!

Recipe from Wegman’s MENU magazine 

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