A Brainy Alfredo with Tagliatelle Pasta...

 

 

 Fettuccine Alfredo with tuna ... Roman style ???

 

You will need two cans of tuna in oil (if you prefer, use fresh tuna steaks, broken apart). One onion, heavy cream, sour cream, fettuccine pasta, and Parmesan cheese. Begin by sauteing one whole chopped onion in olive oil on med. heat until you see brown edges. To that add the two cans of tuna, un-drained. Stir while it bubbles along.

In the meantime, prepare a stock pot of salted water to boil the pasta. Returning to the tuna Alfredo sauce, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and the same of sour cream. Stir until well blended. Finally, add dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Let the sauce simmer covered on low heat until the pasta is ready to serve.

When the pasta is tender, drain, rinse and pour onto serving platter. Ladle the sauce over the top, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Spicy Asian Noodle Bowl with Pork...

 

This is a 'noodle bowl/pot' dish. In case you didn't know, the concept of the ramen 'noodle bowl/pot' dish with marinated meat, stock/broth, some fresh veggies and a hard boiled egg was actually imported from China to Japan.

Today, this noodle dish is recognized as a Japanese 'delish' experience that consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat or (occasionally) fish-based stock/broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso.

Of course, being brainy, I used angel hair pasta broken in half rather than ramen noodles... why not, pasta was originally from China anyway. Of course, you can use traditional ramen noodles.

To begin, you will need: pork loin, angel hair pasta, fresh green beans (optional), onion, orange bell pepper (optional), and spinach blended with arugula. 

Most ramen bowls have bright colors: green, orange and yellow colors (boiled egg)... but you can be brainy and improvise/substitute ...which means use ingredients you/everyone in your house likes. 

Start by marinating a pound more or less of boneless pork loin (depending on number of guests) in whatever your favorite 'spicy' seasonings happen to be. For this version, 'fig' infused balsamic vinegar was used along with garlic powder or paste, cayenne pepper flakes and or cayenne paste, sea salt and minced ginger.

In the meantime, start your 'soup'. Get a full quart of beef stock, 4 tbs of soy sauce, 1 tbs of garlic paste, and 1 tbs of ginger paste or more if you like,.. set to boil. As for the cayenne paste, use at your own discretion in the soup; however, if used in the marinate, then omit from soup. 

Next, add half an onion and orange bell pepper julienne cut to the rolling boil of soup stock. Lastly, add one cup of julienne cut young green beans and then some shredded spinach leaves. 

When the meat marination time is up, either broil the pork loin in the oven or cook on the stove in a skillet. Check the pork and add necessary beef stock to keep the meat moist and juicy. Once, it is pink on the inside (use knife checking the densest portion) a little searing seals in the flavors. 

Back to your spicy ramen soup... add four handfuls of angel hair pasta broken in half directly to the boiling soup stock with all its added spicy flavors.

Take out a deep serving dish and ladle in the pasta with julienne veggies topping with the seared pork loin. Pour out the spicy soup stock over the top and also any tasty drippings from the meat. Top with fresh chopped arugula and serve. 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Simple ~ lean meat and potatoes...

 

Meat and potatoes... just good food for a sit down candlelight dinner at home.

You will need: one pork or beef tenderloin. The loin is the best cut and the best loin is lean and boneless with just a little fat on one side. Chose side dishes that you and your family will enjoy... potatoes i.e.

To begin, heat the oven to 375 (to be reduced later on to 350). Take the loin and poke holes all around. Shake sea salt on all sides and lay it down into a glass dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, top with generously with dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano.

Let it rest like that for about 15 min., while the oven heats up. Cover the loin with foil and pop in the oven at 375 for about 15-18 min. After that time, pour in 3/4 cup of beef stock, and 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce. 

Add to that, a few handfuls of dried plums and sun dried tomatoes (from the jar is ok). Remove the foil cover and return to the oven at 350 until the meat thermometer tells you its down, just slightly pink inside, mostly white meat.

Serve with potatoes, green beans and or a salad. 

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!