This is a quickpost

Pasta is a quick and easy ingredient to create into a great meal. There are so many interesting recipes with components that help you look like a true star in the kitchen. Our Whole wheat pasta recipe below is not only brilliant, flavorful, and colorful but healthy too. It’s great as is or with a serving of your favorite seafood or a grilled chicken breast, to go with it.

If you keep on hand a variety of fresh vegetables, more than likely the only item you will need is the pasta. After several cooking sessions and surveying my guest I found a lot do not keep whole wheat pasta in the house! Rather traditional dry pastas more so, than even fresh. Most comments reflected the bargain price of the conventional type. Whole wheat pasta is in fact better for you and may take a few minutes longer to cook, but it also adds to that ever creative side of being original with something new.

Enjoy the day!

ciao – Bernard

Whole Wheat Pasta with Fresh Vegetables, Basil and Extra virgin Olive Oil : Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Whole Wheat linguini
• 1 ea. medium Yellow squash, sliced julienne
• 1 ea. medium Zucchini, sliced julienne
• 1/2 cup sliced button Mushroom
• 1/2 cup Red onion, sliced julienne
• 1/2 ea. Red Pepper & Yellow Pepper, sliced julienne
• 2 cup fresh baby Spinach
• 1 T. fresh Basil, thin sliced
• 2 T. extra virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to season

Procedure

1. Wash all the vegetables and prepare as suggested
2. In a large pot bring 3 quarts of water to a boil
3. Add the pasta and return to a boil, cook for 6 mins.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the pasta in the boiling water, then add the next 5 ingredients and stir
5. After 1 ½ minutes, reserve ½ cup of liquid, then drain the pasta and vegetable mixture, return to pot
6. Toss with the spinach, basil, ½ cup reserved liquid and 2 tablespoon of olive oil
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot

Serve with roasted Chicken breast, sautéed Salmon or fresh grated cheese

U2 is working with YouTube to broadcast a live stream of their concert this Sunday in Los Angeles.  Fans will be able to access the stream for free from U2′s YouTube page.  The stream will be available throughout the entire country starting 11:30 P.M. Eastern time.

To watch the video, copy & paste or click the following link: http://www.youtube.com/user/U2official#p/u

What I enjoy for the most part about cold days, it’s a great time to let food slow cook. There are a variety of topics that come to mind but what caught my attention was one ad in this week’s mailer. Boneless eye round roast, which most people have a challenge in preparing. I say most, because I’ve had my days too and when I teach a class someone always shares there thoughts on this subject! You do have to keep an eye on it, make sure it doesn’t overcook, but, the end result and fragrance it provides is worth it.

When you purchase a piece of meat make sure there is not too much fat running through it. On top, as with an eye round is fine, it will give you some flavor after you season & sear the meat in your pan. It’s a versatile piece of beef as well when you slice it thinly after it’s cooked. It provides you with at least 2 additional days (not consecutive) of creative lunch or dinner ideas.

I recall when Sunday dinner time was truly an occasion we all spent together every week. Many a fine political, sports or individual related topics were discussed. It was true family time. There were always fresh greens, vegetables, a creative starch and a fine wine to go with dinner. Try our recipe or be creative and add some of your own techniques to give a wow, when people ask “what’s for dinner”!

Let us know how it goes?

Ciao & thanks –Bernard

Serve with oven roasted gold potatoes, creamy polenta or egg noodles.

POT ROAST

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• One 3¾-pound bottom round beef roast
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrot, peeled & diced into ½-inch pieces
• 1 medium celery root, peeled & diced into ½-inch pieces
• 2 medium parsnip’s, peeled & diced into ½-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ cup dry red wine, such as Zinfandel or Shiraz
• One 28-ounce can tomatoes in thick puree, chopped
• 2 fresh sprigs rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprig fresh marjoram

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven (heavy pot) over medium heat.
2. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Add to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until the roast is browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the roast to a plate.
3. Heat more oil in the pot if needed. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery root and parsnips. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and their puree, rosemary, bay leaves and marjoram. Return the roast to the pot and bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot to simmer, occasionally turning the roast in the sauce. Braise until the meat is fork tender, about 2 hours. (Or place in a preheated 250 degree oven, covered and finish cooking there).
5. Transfer the meat to a platter let stand for 5-8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Carve any fat off the beef and thinly slice the meat, against the grain and ¼’ thin pieces are perfect. Place your vegetables under the meat or to the side of the platter you serve the meat on. Ladle the sauce on top.

The new Michael Jackson song, “This Is It”, has started to make it’s rounds on the internet and is streaming on Michael’s website.  The song, is on the soundtrack of “This Is It!”, the upcoming documentary on Michael’s rehearsals for what was supposed to be a run of 50 shows at London’s O2 arena.

The soundtrack will be out October 27th.  The movie hits theaters the following day.

For more Michael Jackson news and features, click here

Jesse McCartney screwed up the National Anthem at the Pepsi 500 NASCAR race in California on Sunday.  He didn’t forget the words necessarily, but he did jump over a whole line.

Jesse skipped the second line of the song:  “What so proudly we hailed . . . at the twilight’s last gleaming

It’s the time of year to pick, cook and taste the abundant variety of Apples available to us. I listed below a few sites’ I researched on Apples. Look locally in the paper or view the site below to identify where to pick in your area. Apple picking gives you an opportunity to spend some time together as well as listen to growers explain how Apples are harvest. Some farms offer additional activities for you to enjoy, when visiting. We could talk for hours on the assortment and uses of our topic but listed as well are two sites you can reference as guides when you’re ready to get cooking!

• http://www.pickyourown.org/apples.htm :
• http://www.nyapplecountry.com/posvarieties.htm
• http://www.the4cs.com/~cathy/Apples/variety.html

I Love cooking with Apples, you can do so many creative and tasteful recipes. Last week I made an Apple noodle Kugel, Fresh Apple Strudel, a spicy Apple Chutney and then taught a class on how to make an apple filling for a roasted pork loin at the BCAE in Boston. I know some of you have a few favorites to share or possibly the best place to go picking, please let us know. Below is a fundamental recipe we used to make our stuffed pork roast. If you’re shopping this weekend you’ll see it’s featured on sale in several ads in our market. That’s because Apples and pork go well together!

Thanks

Ciao

Apple-Filled Pork Roast Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh herbs through out…
• 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 cup diced peeled Rome apple (about 1/2 pound)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 8 large pitted prunes, diced
• 1 (2-pound) lean, boned pork loin roast
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°.

1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add onion, sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon rosemary & sauté 3 minutes. Add apple and next 5 ingredients (apple through prunes); sauté 2 minutes or until apple is crisp-tender. Set aside.
2. Trim fat from pork roast. Cut a wide, deep pocket in side of roast. Stuff the apple mixture into pocket. Tie roast at 1-inch intervals with heavy string. Sprinkle roast with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon rosemary, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
3. Place roast on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325°for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160°, basting frequently with apple juice. Garnish roast with fresh rosemary sprigs.