Category: Italian
Provolone Stuffed Eggplant “Meatball” Subs
| September 1, 2011 | Filled under Italian, Sandwiches, Shawn's Favorites, Vegetarian or Vegan |
Creating my grocery list each Saturday is like pulling teeth. No matter how many times I say “I want to make such and such” when it comes to actually putting my menu together, my mind goes blank and I have to start from scratch. It happens every week without fail. Of course when General Mills asked me if I was interested in creating a collection of recipes for their Tablespoon blog, ideas came flooding in. Within a half hour, I had about 15 recipe concepts that I couldn’t wait to try! (If only my weekly planning could go so easily…)
Since eggplant is one of my favorite late summer vegetables, I chose to focus on how incredibly versatile this vegetable could be — my collection ranges from a stir fry to a dip to a Latin American inspired dish. I’m really happy with how the collection came out. A few of my original ideas had to be scrapped, but the 5 that I whittled it down to are solid. Easy, beautiful, and — most importantly — tasty. I’ll be sharing a few of the recipes here, but be sure to pop on over to Tablespoon.com to check out my 5 New Eggplant Ideas. Read More
Mussels with Saffron Tomato Sauce
| June 21, 2011 | Filled under Fish and Seafood, Italian, Quick Weeknight Meals |
I like to use San Marzano tomatoes, which are naturally lower in acidity and have a sweeter flavor than other canned tomatoes, in this sauce. Some brands can be expensive, but there are a few brands that aren’t bad at all. I like Bella Terra Organic San Marzano Tomatoes, which are about $3 per can. Since the rest of the ingredients in this sauce are cheap (I stock up on cheap saffron at Trader Joe’s whenever I’m visiting a place where there is one), I still make out better than buying a jar of “good” sauce. If you can’t find San Marzanos or want a cheaper option any can of whole peeled plum tomatoes will do.
Milk and butter add a layer of richness and help give the sauce its amazing texture. Full fat or skim milk will work, but you can also use almond milk or even coconut milk if that’s what you have around. I actually used Silk Simply Coconut in the sauce shown here and was very happy with the way it turned out (I had a coupon for a free half gallon of the milk, which is delicious!)
Mussels with Saffron Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 10 minutes, Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
- 1 large (28 oz) can Whole, Peeled Tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 1/2 bulb Fennel, chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 small Onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp Saffron, lightly crushed
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Water, reserved from cooking pasta
- 1 tsp Butter
- 2 pounds Mussels scrubbed
- 8 ounces dry Pasta
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
While waiting for the water to boil: Add the tomatoes, along with the puree or juice they’re packaged with, into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process several seconds, until smooth.
Heat the oil in a medium (3 Quart) saucepan. Add the garlic, fennel, and onions and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add the pureed tomatoes, saffron, and vanilla. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer at least 15 minutes.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Steam the mussels in a separate pot. When the pasta has finished, stir 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and 1/4 cup of milk into your sauce. Drain the pasta.
Add the butter and stir until it melts into the sauce. Serve sauce over pasta and mussels.
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I’m submitting this post to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Simona of Briciole and to Wanderfood Wednesday.
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