Pasta With Escarole & Beans

This is just about one of the fastest, healthiest, and cheapest dinners one can prepare for a casual family dinner. It's super fast if you make the beans ahead or buy canned. Please don't cringe at the anchovies, unless you're a vegetarian and want to omit them. I grew up eating them at home and have learned to use them as a seasoning ingredient in many dishes where they go undetected. The flavor of the anchovies blends with all the other ingredients to achieve an added level of richness. Yes, this is a rich tasting dish. Try it and let me know what you think. Resist the temptation to use more pasta; you will overwhelm the greens and beans and the dish will be too dry.

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
  
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 heads escarole
• 2 cups cooked cannelini or other white beans
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt or to taste
  
• 1/2 pound pasta,preferably whole grain penne, rigatoni or fusilli
  
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
  

Preparation:

1. Remove tough outer leaves and any damaged leaves from escarole head and discard. Lay escarole on cutting board and cut leaves crosswise into 2 inch wide strips. Rinse in several changes of water until dirt free. Set aside. Set pasta water to boil.
2. Place a large, deep casserole over medium heat and add olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer add garlic, cook for one minute, then add pepper flakes and anchovies. Stir with a wooden spoon, mashing up the anchovies as they begin to cook. When garlic is golden, add escarole, beans stock and salt and turn heat to high. Stir and cover until it comes to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until escarole is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to box directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid in case pasta is too dry. Add pasta to escarole mixture and stir to combine. If dish it too dry, add pasta cooking liquid in small amounts until desired consistency is reached. It should be neither too dry nor too soupy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
   
4. Serve with a liberal sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
   

George's Bank Scallops Sauteed with Garlic and White Wine

Looking for a super-fast yet elegant and delicious dinner? These scallops are delicate and satifsying. I normally do not use frozen seafood, except shrimp, but have found a few products at Trader Joe's that actually have the taste and texture of fresh. Their frozen New England sea scallops were touted as George's Bank scallops in their flyer and I believe they are. Defrost them overnight in the refrigerator for best results and cook them with a little olive oil, garlic and white wine. I served them with Trader Joe's fresh green beans with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. We used some of their 7 grain bread to mop up the luscious white wine sauce. Serve with the same wine. I recommend a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc and many can be had for under $10, especially those from New Zealand. I used a Domaine du Salvard 2005 Cheverny from the Loire Valley in France, about $12 and well worth it.

Serves 4:

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen Trader Joe's New England Scallops, defrosted
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup good white wine, such a Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon or no/low oaked Chardonnay
• extra virgin olive oil
• Trader Joe's sea salt
• pepper
  

Preparation:

1. Defrost scallops overnight in the refrigerator. I always place inside a ziploc bag just in case.
2. Remove defrosted scallops from bag and blot dry on paper towel lined cutting board. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper on one side only.
3. Preheat a 12 inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Chop garlic and set aside.
4. Add about 2 tsp. olive oil to skillet and tip to distribute oil evenly along bottom. Using tongs, place scallops one by one into pan, seasoned side down, without crowding them. If you crowd them, they will steam instead of saute and not get a golden color and crunchy texture. When they are golden on one side, after about 2-3 minutes, flip them over and add the garlic. Cook until golden on the second side, another 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook!
5. Remove cooked scallops from skillet and place in a serving bowl; cover to keep warm. Immediately add wine to skillet, turn heat to high, and stir to deglaze pan (incorporate browned bits).
6. Reduce wine to almost 1/3, then pour over scallops and serve. Bon appetit!
   

Sweet Potato Frites

The latest Trader Joe's flyer had a few new interesting products in it that I decided to try out. The first one is sweet potato fries found in the freezer case. They are not the same ones they had before. I remember they were quite tasty but cooked up a bit mushy. Not the case here. These are real frites. They must have been blanched in hot oil to give them their beautiful crunchy texture, but the fat content on the label doesn't support that. Low fat, low GI (glycemic index) fries! They even passed the kid test with my extremely picky boys so I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that they are not only kid friendly but also kid safe! If you like spicy fries, sprinkle these with a little cayenne or black pepper and add a touch more sea or kosher salt because they're a bit bland for adults. They made a tasty and crunchy addition to sauteed organic spinach and sauteed chicken breasts seasoned with Penzey's fajita blend. My older son asked me to serve these from now on. Hmmm. I had been making mine from scratch, minus the blanching in hot oil.