Pasta, Peas & Panchetta!

Orecchiette with Peas, Panchetta & Mint in a Parmesan cream sauce

Over the years, I have learned to master the art of culinary perfection 

within a very small window of opportunity: squeezed in between an excruciating long workday and a much needed night of sleep.

  

With just a few simple key ingredients, you can turn a late week-night meal into an unforgettable one.

In this dish, I am incorporating some of my favorite flavors all together:

Peas, Panchetta, Mint, Cream, White Wine & Parmesan

...along with a deliciously light but hearty Orecchiette pasta.

I love this pasta.  The shapes are so cute and they almost act as little bowls which cup all the beautiful ingredients together.

This is the kind of effortless dish you'd want to just sit on the couch with a bowl of and unwind from a long day.

I'd call this my comfort food at it's best.

A perfect harmony of comforting flavors all in one bite!

**Side note: Add shaved brussels sprouts to the sauce of this dish, 

and it get's taken to a whole other level!

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Orecchiette with Peas, Panchetta & Mint in a Parmesan Cream sauce.

Recipe serves 6.  Preparation: 5 min.  Cooking time: 25 min.

Ingredients

1 pound (16 ounce box) DE CECCO Orecchiette pasta

1 (10-14 ounce bag) frozen sweet green peas

1 (4 ounce) package of Diced Panchetta

4 tablespoons freshly chopped Mint leaves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup dry White wine

1/4 cup low sodium Chicken Stock (optional)

1/4 cup Heavy Cream (may also be substituted with Light Cream or fat-free Half & Half!)

Freshly ground salt & pepper

Freshly shredded Parmigiano 

Preparation & Cooking instructions: 

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, add Orecchiette pasta.  Boil 11 min. until al dente, stirring occasionally.

Drain once cooked, reserving a small amount of the cooking liquid to create a base for the sauce.

2.  In a small skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat.   Add diced Panchetta to the skillet, season with salt & pepper. Saute the panchetta until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.  

3. Lower heat to medium-low.  De-glaze the pan with White Wine, stirring Panchetta to incorporate.  Simmer, reducing the wine for 3 minutes.  

4. Add in the Frozen Peas and Chicken Stock (optional). Stir and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the Peas are completely thawed and cooked.  

5. Add in the Cream to the sauce, simmer for 1 minute and turn off the heat.

6.  Pour the Panchetta & Pea sauce over the pasta & add small amount of pasta cooking liquid.  Stir in the chopped Mint and a handful of shredded Parmesan.

Enjoy! xoxo,

Jen  

Eating Our Way Through Chinatown

Ping's Seafood, 22 Mott Street, NYC

 Today was one of my most favorite days as a Foodie.

My Dad, stepmom Monica & I explored a part of the city that is one of my favorites for culture and authenticity:  Chinatown NYC.  

And of course, the only true way to start out a day

 in Chinatown is by having proper Dim Sum.

First we started out at one of my all time favorites, Ping's Seafood on Mott Street.

Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by large tanks full of live lobster, crabs, prawns..you name it.  Thankfully, we arrived there early enough...because the waiting line was almost out the door!

    

Live Crab OR lunch... you decide!

And then came the carts with the steaming hot, melt-in-your-mouth dim sum.

My #1 choice always seems to be the Shrimp Shumai dumpling.  

So soft and delicious, like biting into a piece of Chinese heaven.

Shrimp shumai dumplings

 

Pork Shumai dumplings of perfection

 

Crispy Fried Lo Mein with Tangy peanut sauce

Chinese Broccoli with Garlic

As the Dim Sum carts rolled by, I was finding it almost impossible to resist the urge to try all of the delicious plates.  Salt & Pepper Crispy Prawns (devoured), Shrimp & Chive pan fried dumplings were delish, all accompanied by a pot of subtly fragrant Jasmine tea. 

Me, totally in my element, with my little friend..the Shrimp Shumai.

And then we were onto our next stop, Fong Inn Too.

I had read about this little hole in the wall on Yelp.  

When I realized it had tons of reviews, almost all with 5 stars, I knew something was up.

Passing by (and very hard to find), this place looked scary from the outside.  

But inside was a delicious treat called "Tofu Fa" that was all the rage, if you're Chinese.

Fong Inn Too, 46 Mott Street, NYC

Tofu Fa =  sweet, hot Silky Beancurd Tofu with a yummy syrup on the side.

To experience something truly different, I knew I had to try.  

And amazingly for only $1 a serving!  Chinatown at it's best.   

Side note: eat it there while still hot and smooth upon serving.  DO NOT try to take-out.

 

Fong Inn Too - Tofu Pudding delicacy

  

Next stop in C-town was completely unplanned 

(I have to give credit to my Dad for this one!).

He spotted this crazy Chinese supermarket, New York Mart
 (almost the equivalent of the American "Fairway") 
with live fish tanks all along the outside facade.  
Upon entering, there were boxes being unloaded labeled "live shrimp". 

I knew this was gonna be good.

Inside was unimaginable and virtually impossible that you could still be in NY at this point.

The Duck Counter.   New York Mart, 128 Mott Street, NYC

The aisles were ENDLESS with every possible variety of fish

(freshly caught...literally still swimming alive in the tanks below). 

 

The Fish Counter.  Average price per pound: $1.99!

Fish as fresh as it can get!

And a few other things that completely blew me away!  Had to photograph!

Live turtles!!  Turtle soup anyone?

Live Frogs?!  Speechless. (Ribbit)

And our last stop on our exploring mission was a revisit to undoubtedly one of favorites.

I pretty much feel Chinese in my blood by this point.

A modern, perfect little bakery on Bayard Street full of satisfying post-dim-sum pastries, Bubble Teas and incredible Breads. 

 

Simply Bakery, 70 Bayard Street, NYC - Simply the Best!

There's nothing that says Chinese self-indulgence more than this bake shop.

So many yummy little pieces of heaven...how can one choose!

My savory little Coconut Bun bread.  Sweet'N'Salty all in one bite!

  

And can't forget the Bubble Tea to complete the day!

Definitely an acquired taste for some but one of my biggest obsessions.

Chilled Milky Black Bubble Tea with Tapioca bubbles

 

Hope you enjoyed as much as we did!  

xoxo,

Jen

Delicious Detox!

My Miso Glazed Cod with Baby Bok Choy & Pork Wonton dumplings

Post-Thanksgiving and after days of indulging in food-coma-inducing- 

comfort-food-heaven, my body was craving a detox. 

Even Blanca, my maltese pup, who had eaten her weight in turkey, 

was begging me... "Mommy, please...enough is enough".  

I had invited an also much-needed detox friend over for dinner 
(I clearly needed motivation)

 and chose very light but hearty ingredients for this dish 

accompanied by some of my most favorite Asian flavors: miso and sesame.
This is a totally "do-it-together" kind of dish and so much fun to make with someone!

All in all, the dish turned out to be a big hit!

Miso Glazed Cod with Baby Bok Choy & Pork Dumplings

Hand made Pork Wonton Dumplings (see full recipe details below):

1st step: Lightly mix together in a bowl the ground pork, scallions, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt and ground pepper.
FYI...Ground pork was a staggering $3.26/lb 
and 50 Wonton Wrappers were $2.50 from Fairway! Detox on a budget.

 

 

Place each wonton wrapper square on a cutting board surface, 

add a small spoonful of the filling to the center of the wonton wrapper.  

Lightly brush the wonton along each side of the wrapper with the cornstarch slurry 

(this is the glue that holds the wonton together!).

Fold each wrapper in half, opposite corners meeting to form a triangle.  

Using your finger tips, carefully pinch the wrapper along the edges to fully close up the dumpling, eliminate any air pockets and seal in the filling completely.

 

I work in batches of 6 - 8 wontons at a time.  

Good music on the stereo is key (must have a good beat to go with the Wonton-making rhythm).  I believe tonight's music of choice was Sting's Greatest Hits.

 

Using a fork, crimp the wonton along the edges to close the wonton.

This step is completely optional but I must because I usually tend to overfill my wontons! 

I then add the cornstarch slurry to the inside tips of the side corners of the wonton and pinch them closed together with my fingers for 5 seconds.  

This step seals the wonton shape beautifully.

I've gotten so good at this, I can usually crank out 40-50 wontons in about an hour. 

Chinese restaurant chef = possible 2nd career? 

 I then freeze any wontons I won't be eating immediately by placing them on a wax paper lined baking sheet (dumplings separated so they don't freeze together) and placing them in the freezer for 1 hour.  After they are frozen, I then store the dumplings in a freezer zip lock bag and place them back in the freezer for whenever I'm craving them!  
Perfect for a quick and easy dinner after a long day of work!

So perfect and convenient!

 

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There are so many Wonton dumpling ideas with endless possibilities...

Crispy Pan Fried Dumplings & Ginger Soy dipping sauce

Wonton dumpling soup with Baby Bok Choy, Lemongrass & Noodles

Pork & Ginger Wonton Stir-Fry with Lime & Jalepeno (courtesy of Martha Stewart recipes)

Classic Wonton soup with Baby Bok Choy

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Miso Glazed Cod & Baby Bok Choy (see full recipe details below):

1st step: Prepare the Miso Glaze.  Whisk together the Rice Wine vinegar, sesame oil, White Miso paste, minced ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  

Generously brush all over the outside of the Cod fillets.   

Season the fish with black sesame seeds. 

2nd step: Wash and chop the baby bok choy.  You can either slice the choy in quarters lengthwise OR chop it into 1" thick pieces.

Heat 2 - 3 tbsp of Sesame Oil in a skillet.  Add the bok choy and saute for 4 minutes.  

Then add the miso glazed Cod fillets to the center of the skillet, deglaze the pan with White Wine or Chicken Stock (optional), and continue to simmer on medium heat 
(5 minutes on each side of the fish) until the fish is cooked through. 

 Plate the baby bok choy, Cod fillet & 4-5 wontons in a soup plate.

Drizzle on a few tablespoons of the remaining liquid  from the skillet 

to create a sauce for the dish.

  

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Miso Glazed Cod with Baby Bok Choy & Pork Dumplings

Recipe serves 2 (with 30 extra Wontons to freeze).  Preparation: 1 hour 15 min.  

Cooking time: 20 min.

Ingredients (Wontons)

1 pound ground pork

3 scallions finely chopped

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp unseasoned sesame oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Cornstarch Slurry = 1 tbsp cornstarch +  1/4 cup cool water

Ingredients (Miso Glaze)

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp unseasoned sesame oil

2 tbsp white Miso paste (can be found in the Asian section of most grocery or specialty stores)

1 tsp minced ginger (pickled in a jar or fresh from the root)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Ingredients

(2) 4 ounce Cod fillets 

1 large head of Baby Bok Choy - quartered lengthwise OR chopped into 1 inch pieces

Black sesame seeds

splash of White wine or can use the Chicken Stock for de-glazing (optional)

1 (16 oz) can of chicken stock + 3 cups of water - for cooking of dumplings 

  

Preparation & Cooking instructions: 

1.  For the Wonton filling: Lightly mix together in a bowl the ground pork, scallions, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt and ground pepper.

2. Place each wonton wrapper square on a cutting board surface, add a small spoonful of the filling to the center of the wonton wrapper.  Lightly brush the wonton along each side of the wrapper with the Cornstarch Slurry (this is the glue that holds the wonton together!).  Fold each wrapper in half, corners meeting to form a triangle.  Using your finger tips, carefully pinch the wrapper along the edges to fully close up the dumpling.

3.  Using a fork, crimp the wonton along the edges to close the wonton (step is optional).
Add the cornstarch slurry to the inside tips of the side corners of the wonton and pinch them closed together with my fingers for 5 seconds.  This step seals the wonton shape.

4. Freeze any wontons that won't be eaten immediately by placing them on a wax paper lined baking sheet (dumplings separated so they don't freeze together) and placing them in the freezer for 1 hour.  After they are frozen, store the dumplings in a freezer zip lock bag and place them back in the freezer for future use.

5. In a medium sauce pan, bring the Chicken stock and water to a boil. Add wontons and very gently boil, stirring often, until cooked (about 3-4 minutes). Drain and set aside.

6.  For the Miso Glaze: Whisk together the Rice Wine vinegar, sesame oil, White Miso paste, minced ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Generously brush all over the outside of the Cod fillets.
Season the fish with black sesame seeds.
7. Wash and chop/slice the baby bok choy. Make sure to dry the bok choy thoroughly before placing in the skillet.
8. Heat 2 - 3 tbsp of Sesame Oil in a skillet.  Add the bok choy and saute for 4 minutes.  
Add the miso glazed Cod fillets to the center of the skillet, deglaze the pan with White Wine or Chicken stock (optional), and continue to simmer on medium heat (5 minutes each side for the fish) until cooked through.  

9. Plate the baby bok choy, Cod fillet & 4-5 wontons in a soup plate.  Drizzle on a few tablespoons of the remaining liquid  from the skillet to create a sauce for the dish. Garnish with chopped Scallions.

 

Enjoy! xoxo,

Jen  

*And a special detox dessert treat we enjoyed*

(one of my absolutely favorite new addictions)

This treat can usually be found in the Asian section of your grocery store.

Pocky sticks! Incredibly thin, chocolate covered, and *almost* no calories ;-)
Perfect for any detox.