Boardash: Spinach Salad, Sicilan Pasta, and Cream Cheese Pie

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Spinach Salad, Sicilan Pasta, and Cream Cheese Pie

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Happy Holidays from ArcaMax!

Recipes: ArcaMax Chef

For You
Friday December 25, 2009

Appetizer: Spinach Salad
Main Course: Sicilian Pasta
Dessert: Cream Cheese Pie
Grocery List

Please enjoy this week's classic ArcaMax Chef column, originally run on December 29, 2006. The Chef will return with a new menu next Friday.

Appetizer: Spinach Salad

2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil (or combination)
1 cup onion, chopped
6 small Portabella mushrooms sliced thin
2 pears chopped
2 tomatoes sliced into wedges then cut in half (bite size pieces)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
10 fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
One quarter cup dry white wine
Fresh Spinach, enough for 6 to 8 servings
One half cup real bacon bits

Heat oil or butter in saute pan. Add onion and saute slowly until softened. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Add pear, tomato, lemon juice, herbs, and wine. Saute until heated through. Arrange Spinach on a dinner plate, tearing into bite size pieces, top with saute and garnish with bacon bits.

The Skinny: Not much room for improvement here.

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Main Course: Sicilian Pasta

1 pound small shrimp peeled and deveined (you may also substitute with boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces)
4 cloves garlic
One half cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
Hot pepper flakes to taste
1 small jar capers, drained
1 pound linguine
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook shrimp or chicken in deep saucepan/wok until done. Remove shrimp/chicken and discard liquid. In same saucepan add garlic, olive oil, basil, parsley, tomatoes, red pepper flakes and capers and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until garlic is cooked. Add shrimp or chicken during last 2 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile cook pasta in a separate pan until "al dente". Drain water from pasta. Add pasta to sauce, sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan cheese and toss to completely coat pasta with sauce and cheese. Serve immediately.

The Skinny: Be careful of how much of the red pepper flakes you use. Some guests or small children may not like the heat.

New Years Day Black-eyed Peas

1 and one half cups chopped onion
1 and one half cups chopped celery
3 16-oz. cans black-eyed peas
1 16-oz. can chopped tomatoes
One half cup real bacon bits or one half cup of the Smithfield Ham, chopped
1 clove garlic minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute onion and celery until tender. Combine with black-eyed peas, tomatoes, bacon bits or ham, garlic, salt and pepper in baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

The Skinny: This menu is good as is.

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Dessert: Cream Cheese Pie

8 oz. cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
One quarter cup lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Combine first 4 ingredients with a mixer until smooth. Pour into pie crust and refrigerate for 2 hours.

The Skinny: Use light cream cheese and fat free condensed milk.

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Grocery List

2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil (or combination)
6 small Portabella mushrooms sliced thin
2 pears chopped
2 tomatoes sliced into wedges then cut in half (bite size pieces)
One quarter cup and 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
10 fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. dried basil
One quarter cup dry white wine
Fresh Spinach, enough for 6 to 8 servings
One half cup real bacon bits
1 pound small shrimp peeled and deveined (you may also substitute with boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces)
5 cloves garlic
One half cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
Hot pepper flakes to taste
1 small jar capers
1 pound linguine
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 and one half cups chopped onion
1 and one half cups chopped celery
3 16-oz. cans black-eyed peas
1 16-oz. can chopped tomatoes
One half cup real bacon bits or one half cup of the Smithfield Ham, chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 9-inch graham cracker crust