Linguini with Spinach, Butter and Cream

I had yet another 10 oz. bag of spinach to use up, so I decided to try this recipe (only in the first edition of Bittman). Came out pretty well, but why am I so resistant to learning that 1 lb. of pasta is a TON (figuratively, for sure) of food? Next time, I'll probably add more spinach or decrease the amount of pasta - just as I said I would in the last similar recipe I posted. Ah well.

• 10 oz. fresh spinach, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp. butter
• salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, light cream or half-and-half (used the latter)
• 1 lb. linguini (Bittman also recommends fettucini or spaghetti; I used whole wheat, though he didn't specify one way or another)
• 2-3 tbsp. pasta cooking water, reserved
• 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for passing around (Bittman sticks with 1 cup total)
  

In a pasta pot-type piece of cookware, salt water and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and cook till it's tender but firm.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet that can be covered. Add the spinach, along with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, till the spinach is very tender - about 10 min. Uncover, add the cream and cook gently for 5 minutes.

When the pasta's just about done, put the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter in a large, warm bowl. Add a couple of tbsp. of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it with the butter and half the cheese.

Add the spinach sauce (After the step above, I tossed the pasta in the pan with the other half of the cheese - Bittman prefers reserving the extra 1/2 cup to pass at the table) and serve, passing around even more grated cheese.

Slow-Cooked Green Beans

Work last week left me no time to cook; now, thanks to the joys that are comp days, I can get back into it at a nice, leisurely pace. This Bittman recipe (which appears in both version of How to Cook Everything) seems a perfect way to use up many of the vegetables that are turning dubious; as a bonus, the long, mostly-uninterrupted cooking time (they're still simmering as I type this) allows ample opportunity to clean, do laundry and get one's heinie handed to oneself in MLB 2K9. The original recipe is below; my alterations are in italics.

• 1-1/2 lb. green beans (12 oz., because that's how much I had on hand)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (1/8 cup)
• 1 cup minced onion (scant 1-1/2 cups, since that's how many at-risk-of-spoiling ones I had)
• 3/4 head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled (see note below)
• 1 cup cored, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (1 cup chopped, mix of canned and at-risk fresh grape tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup water (1/3 cup)
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• freshly-squeezed lemon juice to taste (started with about 1 tbsp.)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and cook over medium-low heat for at least 1 hour, checking every 15 minutes and adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary. Longer cooking, for up to 1 more hour, won't hurt (I can testify to the truth of this - mine cooked for just under 2 hours).

When the beans are very tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, they're ready. Correct seasoning and remove from heat.

Serve or at room temperature, sprinkled with a little more oil and a few more drops of lemon juice.

NOTE: This turned out well, though some of the stewed garlic cloves slipped out of their skin and left hard-to-fish-out husks. Maybe next time I'll peel the garlic and let it diffuse into the dish if it wants to.

Bistek (Steak with Onions and Citrus-Soy Sauce)

While poking through my Gchat logs for old recipes, I came across this one, courtesy of the wonderful and funny Burnt Lumpia. Though I haven't made the dish since Oct. 30, 2008, I seem to have found it yummy. The version below incorporates my modifications.

• 1 lb. sirloin beef, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup kalamansi juice (or lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 5-7 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tbsp. oil (I used peanut)
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Marinade the beef in the citrus juice, soy sauce and garlic for at least 30 minutes.

Put oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade, reserving the liquid. Sear the meat on all sides (4-5 minutes or so).
Remove meat from pan, place in a bowl, and set aside. Add the onion rings to the pan and saute for 3 minutes, adding more oil if necessary.

Pour the reserved marinade into the pan with the onions. Be sure to deglaze and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black pepper to the sauce and correct seasoning. If the sauce is too salty, or too sour - or if you just want more sauce - add 1/2 cup of water. (Mine turned out a tad salty, but a few more squeezes of lemon fixed that.)

Return the meat to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. You can also thicken the sauce with cornstarch if you like.

Serve over white rice.

Wild Blossom

It's the first day of spring! That and the blooming cherry blossoms across the street put me in mind of this recipe, which won the New York Department of Consumer Affairs' third Sidewalk Cafe Drink Mix-Off (and which we drank a fair amount of last summer).

• 2 oz. Plymouth gin (I used Hendricks once and Tanqueray another time; both were fine)
• 3/4 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 3/4 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1 oz. cranberry juice
• grapefruit twist or wedge, to garnish, optional

Combine all ingredients (save the optional garnish, of course) in an ice-filled cocktail shaker.

Shake well, then pour into a glass. Garnish, if you like.