Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca, or Pasta alla Puttanesca, literally means "whore's-style pasta." You may think that ladies of the night would whip this up to lure customers to them, but that isn't true.

Now if that doesn't make you want to chow down, I don't know what will. Well, maybe the following description will help. Puttanesca is a tangy, slightly salty sauce that gets its flavor and aroma from the combination of capers, olives, and anchovies.

It's simple and takes only about as long as it does to cook the pasta. You can easily omit the anchovies, but they add such a great depth of flavor. Enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup strong-tasting olives, chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup parmesan, shredded (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook garlic in oil for 1 minute. Stir in anchovies, capers, olives, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Saute 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until desired thickness.
4. Toss pasta with sauce, and serve. Top with optional parmesan cheese.

Guest Post: Ahi Poke

Today is Guest Post Day! Yay! Thanks to Tom Lee for sharing. Sounds delicious.

Tom Lee is a business development associate for the Santa Barbara Fish Market where you can support local fishermen and buy fresh seafood online or buy fresh fish online.

Ahi Poke

As a college student that is health and budget conscience, I am always looking for something that meets these requirements. The best way to do so, is to make something yourself. One of my favorite dishes is Ahi Poke. Ahi Poke is a dish that is enjoyed by many, but made by few. It consists of fresh raw tuna mixed with a few seasonings. Besides being so tasty for how simple it is, it also is very healthy. 4 ounces of tuna (Yellowfin tuna) itself yields about 27 grams of protein in just 123 calories. It’s a great source of lean protein. While the ingredients are simple, some people are a bit scared of handling raw fish, but it’s really no different then another other meat. In fact, most fishmongers at any fish market or fish department will clean the fish and hand you a perfect fillet that is ready to be used for a meal. The only real important requirement for this dish is to have the freshest tuna possible.

Ingredients:
8oz Fresh Tuna
1 Tablespoon Shallots
½ Tablespoon Green Onions
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/8 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
¼ Teaspoon Sesame Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Siracha Garlic Chili Sauce
¼ Whole Avocado
½ Whole Cucumber

Instructions:
1. Mix sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, shallots, and green onions into a small
bowl

2. Take the ¼’d avocado and take the seed out and peel the skin off. Cut into to small
¼ inch pieces.

3. Cut the cucumber in slices. You want them thin, but still thick enough to carry the
weight of the Ahi Poke that will be served on it.

4. Make sure to keep the tuna cold until being handled. Cut the tuna into ¼ inch
cubes.

5. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and let sit for about 10-15 minutes. It
can be served immediately, but a few extra minutes will let the sauce penetrate a bit
better.

6. Top each cucumber slice with about a spoonful of Ahi Poke, serve, and enjoy!

Tips: What’s great about this recipe is that all the ingredients can be easily adjusted
to taste. If you prefer a spicier sauce, just add more of the garlic chili sauce. Big fan
of avocado? Add more! Cucumber is suggested hear as a lower-calorie alternative,
but Ahi Poke is also great served on top of your favorite crackers or toasted bread.

Vegetarian Moussaka with Sweet Potatoes

A vegetarian version of our original Moussaka. Instead of meat, we chose portobello for its meaty qualities. Plus, how can you not love portobello and eggplant together in one dish? This one also includes a layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom that really goes nicely with the cinnamon and nutmeg spices used throughout the dish.

Moussaka

Yield: 8-12 servings
Ingredients

• 3 eggplants, peeled and cut into half-inch slices
• 1 sweet potato, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• salt, to taste
• white pepper, to taste
• 1.5-3 cups parmesan, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Cooking Directions

1. Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the portobello, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the mushrooms have lost some of their liquid, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
3. To make the bechamel sauce, begin by heating the milk to about boiling. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Remove from heat and gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.
4. Arrange a layer of sweet potato as shingles, then a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the portobello mixture. Cover with remaining eggplant. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg.
5. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1 3/4 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• ~18 ounces Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 ounce dark chocolate, finely chopped

Cooking Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup milk.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1 1/4 cups milk with sugar over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. When mixture is boiling, pour into bowl with milk and gelatin and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.
3. Stir yogurt into gelatin mixture. Whisk in peppermint extract.
4. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.
5. Toward the end of freezing time, add chocolate.
6. Serve immediately or freeze to desired consistency.

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

If you love spaghetti squash, or have never tried it before, here's a simple, easy recipe that is sure to please. It's like having a nice bed of tasty pasta without the pasta. You can easily add chicken of anything else that you want to this, and you've got yourself a complete meal. Yum. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seed removed
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup feta or similar cheese
• 3 tablespoons black olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm (throw back in the pan if need be).