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Now that the holidays are over and all the decorations are put away, here I sit, bored, suffering from the winter blahs. Too cold to venture outside, it's easy to slip into hibernation mode missing out on a favorite pastime, dining out. No worries though, some favorite dishes can be recreated in the warmth of one's own kitchen.
You may have enjoyed one, or all, of these delicious dishes. The recipes are copycats from three popular chain restaurants in our area. Can you guess which they are?
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
1-pound lean ground beef or mild Italian sausage (or a combination of both)
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 cup diced carrots (2 medium)
1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 to 4 cups beef or chicken broth
1 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup ditalini pasta, uncooked
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
Grated Romano or parmesan cheese, for garnish
Directions: In large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Crumble in ground beef or sausage, stirring occasionally till cooked through. Remove from skillet and drain off fat. Set aside.
In same skillet heat remaining olive oil; saute carrots, celery and onion over medium high heat about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Reduce heat to low and add tomato sauce, broth, water, canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram and cooked beef. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally till veggies are soft.
Meanwhile cook ditalini to al dente according to package directions. Add drained pasta, beans and an additional cup of broth, if desired, to thin soup. Allow to cook 5 minutes longer. Serve hot topped with grated cheese.
Cajun Shrimp Linguine
1-pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (crushed)
1 pound linguine
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Half a lemon
Directions: Stir together cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper and thyme. Place shrimp in bowl and dust with the spice mixture. Toss to coat. Set aside.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, melt butter in large, heavy skillet along with olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion till soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir 30 seconds being careful not to burn garlic.
Add tomato paste, heavy cream, Parmesan and a small pinch of sugar. Cook, stirring, till blended. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta and toss well, adding reserved pasta water to moisten, if necessary. Allow shrimp to finish cooking another 1 to 2 minutes. Add parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Remove from heat, squeeze lemon juice over and serve. Serves 4.
Cherry Chocolate Cobbler
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. butter, cut into small pieces
1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
One (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Directions: In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter; cut with a pastry blender till the crumbs are the size of large peas. Set aside.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave according to directions on the chip bag. Let melted chocolate cool slightly about 5 minutes. Add the milk and egg to the chocolate and mix well. Blend the chocolate into the flour mixture.
Spread cherry filling onto the bottom of a 2-quart casserole. Drop the chocolate batter randomly over the cherries. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven 40 to 45 minutes, or till top is browned. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 6.