Shrimp and Mushrooms Fra Diavolo Over Whole Wheat Penne

Hi Everyone,

First, I want to thank everyone for your e-mails and encouragement.  I am very happy so many of you are enjoying the recipes.  One of the first e-mails I received was from a friend who described my posts as “the culinary talents of Julia Childs meeting the witty humor of Nathan Lane—a great idea for a cookbook.”   I couldn’t agree more.  In fact, that’s what I have been doing for months—writing a cookbook. 

The book is all about growing up as an overweight gay kid.  I mean food was my best friend.  It attended all of my most important, crazy, and funny occasions in life; and my grandmother was always there, giving her great advice and her incredible support, and cooking those mouth-watering dishes. Wait until you read the chapter I just finished:  “No Need to Panic.  Just Don’t Button It.”  It’s one of my favorite memories of how my grandmother’s great advice, and, of course, her homemade spinach and meat ravioli, turned a humiliating but humourous First Communion experience into a wonderful family dinner. 

My cookbook will include my grandmother’s delicious old-world recipes, but don’t worry.  For us poor folks who have to lose a few pounds, there will be my reduced-fat versions.  Now I’m sure you’re asking yourselves, “Why is he telling us this?”  Good question.  Instead of posting a recipe every Monday, I'm going to start posting every other Monday.  This will give me time to finish the book and to work on something new.  Next month I’m going to try to do a podcast of a cooking demonstrating of one of my recipes—the key word here being “try.” 

Now, for this week’s recipe:  Whole Wheat Penne with Shrimp and Mushrooms.  Enjoy.  

Shrimp and Mushrooms Fra Diavolo Over Whole Wheat Penne

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds of shrimp peeled and deveined

½ cup of sliced Oyster Mushrooms

1 cup of sliced Crimini Mushrooms

1 cup of sliced Portabella Mushrooms

1 cup of sliced White Mushroom

Olive Oil Pam

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 clove of elephant garlic coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes

1 small jar (no more than 8 ounces) of sundried tomatoes drained and rinsed

½ cup of clam juice

Salt to taste

1 pound of cooked Whole Wheat Penne

Spray a medium pot with Olive Oil Pam.  Add olive oil and heat over medium flame for one or two minutes.  Sauté the garlic and the crushed red pepper in the olive oil until garlic is lightly browned.   Add the crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and clam juice.  Salt to taste.  Cook for fifteen minutes on medium  heat.  Add the shrimp.  Cook for an additional ten minutes.   Serve over whole wheat penne.

Note:  If the variety of mushrooms are unavailable, you may use all White Mushrooms.

Turkey Swedish Meatballs

First, let me tell you that I joined a gym.  All I can say is:  “OH MY GOD!”  The elliptical is a torture devise.  All right, so I’m over-exaggerating; but it’s not fun.  Everyone tells me it will get better.  I say:  “LIARS.”  I’ll keep you updated.

As for the recipe of the week, I have decided to reduce the fat in one of my own original recipes that I created years ago.  I have given many parties—from Halloween to Christmas—and everyone’s favorite dish has always been my Turkey Swedish Meatballs.   Originally, I made them with ground beef.  A few years ago, I decided to use turkey instead; because many of my friends were cutting down on their intake of beef.  Now, the trick is to reduce the fat in the sauce.  After a few tries, I think I got it right; but you be the judge.  Try them and tell me what you think.  Oh, and there is an added bonus:  any leftover turkey mixture can be made into a meatloaf, topped with the reduced fat sauce.  Let me tell you, it tastes great.  Try the meatballs for a party or the meatloaf version for dinner.  Either way, enjoy and let me know what you think.  I so want to hear your feedback—so post-post-post.

Until next Monday, have a great one.

Greg

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds of chopped turkey

4 cans of regular Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup

1 can of Campbell’s Healthy Choice Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cups of Fat Free Half and Half

1 egg beaten

3 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

Olive Oil Pam

Salt to taste

Spray a baking pan with Olive Oil Pam.  In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, 1 can of Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup, one beaten egg, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce, and 2 cups of seasoned bread crumb.  Salt to taste.  Shape into small meatballs—about one-inch in diameter.  Place the meatballs on the Pam-sprayed baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes or until browned.  Check occasionally to prevent over-browning. 

Make the sauce while the meatballs are baking.  In a medium pot combine 1 can of Campbell’s Healthy Choice Cream of Mushroom Soup, 3 cans of Campbell’s regular Golden Mushroom Soup, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce, and 2 cups of Fat Free Half and Half.  Heat to boiling then simmer for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drop the baked meatballs into the sauce and continue to simmer for ten additional minutes.  Stir often to prevent sticking.  If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add a little more of the Fat Free Half and Half.  Serve hot in a chafing dish or in a large bowl.

To make a meatloaf:

Mix the meatball ingredients as above and shape into a loaf or two smaller loaves if you so desire.  Bake at 350 degrees for forty minutes or until cooked.  Make the sauce as above and pour over the meat loaf when serving.

Creamy Cheesecake

You never know when you’re making a memory—one of my favorite sayings—and it never rang more true than this week when I was working on my reduced fat cheesecake.  The original recipe was given to my mother by her friend, Nilda; and mom called it, “Nilda’s Cheesecake.”  When I started to re-work the recipe to reduce the fat and the sugar contents, my mom began to reminisce about Nilda and the “good old days.”  She started to laugh and told me a story about a party they had attended in the 60’s.  The woman who was throwing the party was pregnant with her first child.  Both my mom and Nilda already had two children.  During the course of the conversation, someone had asked Nilda and my mom if they were planning on having more children.  My mom said she planned on it but wanted to wait a year or so.  Nilda laughed and said she was going to wait, too.   Little did they know they were both already pregnant with their third child.  Nine months later I was born.  Mom said she and Nilda laughed about that often.

I remember enjoying this cheesecake on many occasions.  Now when I make my reduced version, I have a new memory of my mom and her friend Nilda.  Perhaps when you make it, you will think of the two friends behind the cheesecake.

Oh more thing.  This week 2 pounds.  Slow but steady

Creamy Cheesecake

Crust Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

½ cup reduced fat margarine melted

Mix the above ingredients together.  Use a nine by three round spring pan.  Press crust ingredients to the bottom and three quarters of the way up the side of the spring pan. 

Filling ingredients:

3 well-beaten eggs

2 light or reduced-fat packages of cream cheese (very soft)

1 cup Splenda Sugar Blend

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 cups of sour cream

Combine all the ingredients for the filling except the sour cream and beat until smooth.  Fold In the sour cream with a wire whisk.  Pour filling into the crust and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.  (The filling will be soft when removed from oven but will solidify when chilled.)  Let cool and refrigerate overnight.

Note:  The cream cheese must be very soft before combining with other ingredients.  If

          not, it will form tiny lumps that will not be melted by beating or baking.

      

Ratatouille Served Over Polenta

                                                                 Photo by www.photosbychristine.com

Gallerano—a good old Italian family name, and we Italians have many traditions:  the seven fishes on Christmas Eve, Zepolle on Saint Joseph’s Day, Pizza Rustica (Rustic Pizza aka meat pie) on Easter, and no meat on Fridays during Lent to name a few.  On those meatless Fridays, Mamma (remember that’s what we called my grandmother) would make a frittata, pizza, or, my favorite, Ratatouille over Polenta.  The Ratatouille makes a great first dish or, add some cannellini beans for protein, and you have a terrific main course.  I’m telling you, it’s really good.  Also, remember, if you try this or any of the recipes, please post or e-mail glg2611@gmail.com and let me know what you think.  Oh, and as for my diet, I have lost 3.6 pounds this week.  I know “.6” why not just say 3 or 3 and half.  Trust me, anyone who has tried to lose weight will tell you, between the exercising and the dieting, we want every ounce we’ve lost accounted for. So, as I said, 3.6 pounds.   Oh and remeber to become a follower here at bloger or a fan on facebook.  Facebook link is on the left. 


Enjoy and see you next Monday.

Ratatouille

Ingredients

6 medium zucchini

6 medium fryer peppers

1 large eggplant

1 medium onion coarsely chopped

2 cloves elephant garlic finely chopped

3 heaping teaspoons of tomato paste

1 28 oz. can of plum tomatoes, hand crushed

Juice from can of plum tomatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

Olive Oil Pam Spray

1 teaspoon of salt or season to taste

Select firm zucchini, wash and scrape lightly.  Remove the top of the zucchini and cut a thin slice from the bottom and discard.  Cut in half and cut each half lengthwise.  Remove the seedy center of the zucchini as this tends to get mushy.  Slice the zucchini crosswise, about 1/4 inch thick.  The cut pieces will be crescent-shaped.

Wash fryer peppers, cut in half and remove stem and seeds.  Cut the halves into quarters, lengthwise, and cut each quarter in half, crosswise.

Wash the eggplant, remove top and a slice from bottom.  Cut in quarters and clean out some of the seeds.  Cut the eggplant in 1 inch chunks.

Drain the juice from the can of plum tomatoes into a bowl and set aside.  Hand crush the plum tomatoes, removing the inside stem if you desire, and set aside.

Spray a five or seven quart pot with Olive Oil Pam Spray, add the two teaspoons of olive oil, and sauté the garlic over medium heat for one minute.  Add onions and sauté until translucent (about four minutes).  If the garlic and onions stick to the bottom of the pot, turn off the heat and spray the mixture with the Olive Oil Pam Spray.  Then continue sautéing.  Mix in the tomato paste, melting it into the mixture, about two minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in the juice from the can of plum tomatoes and add the hand-crushed plum tomatoes.  Season with one teaspoon of salt or season to taste.  Cook for five minutes.  Add peppers, zucchini, and eggplant.  Coat all vegetables with the tomato, onion, and garlic mixture.  Simmer, stirring often, until vegetables are tender (about ten to fifteen minutes).  Serve over Polenta.

Note:  If you would like to add protein to the Ratatouille, add a one pound can of Cannellini beans with the liquid, and reduce the juice from the plum tomatoes to half.

Polenta

Ingredients

3 cups boiling water

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup cold water

1 tablespoon of light margarine

Salt to taste

Bring the three cups of water to a boil.  Combine the corn meal with the cold water, stirring to break up any lumps.  Add this gradually to the boiling water, stirring constantly.  Add the margarine and salt and continue cooking for twenty minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour Polenta into an oval vegetable dish and let stand at room temperature until ready to use.  When ready, turn Polenta on to a platter and slice.  Makes eight servings.

Serve the Ratatouille over the Polenta. 

New recipe on Monday

I have my next dish.  Ratatouille over polenta.  See ya Monday