Sunday Cooking with Dimitry and Vlad

Spent some more time in the kitchen this afternoon. I try to make things on the weekend that I can use through the week for a quick supper or for lunches at work (I always take my lunch to work). Today, I made Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce, an Italian tomato sauce. I adapted the recipe from one in Gourmet Magazine (April 1994) - I've subscribed to Gourmet for years. It's very quick and easy. It's better in the summetime, when I can get fresh local organic basil, which I chop and thrown in abundantly. It's got a LOT of garlic in it, as do most of my dishes. I LOVE garlic and can usually get a good supply from my local health food store. They sell huge, local bulbs. The little ones you can buy at the grocery store pale in comparison. The second dish is a bean salad called Lobio from Georgia (as in former Soviet republic) . This recipe is from one of the early Moosewood cookbooks. It, too, is quick and delicious, but beware, it gives you a serious case of garlic breath! Brad doesn't eat either of these, as he has a terrible reaction to onion and garlic.

Arrabbiata Sauce

Heat 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan and add (at least) 1/4 cup chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes (or to taste). Sauté until garlic is lightly golden. Add a 28 oz can of whole or stewed tomatoes, 14 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Add about a cup of chopped fresh basil if you have it or 2 teaspoons dried basil. I throw in a can of rinsed chickpeas also. Simmer for 5 more minutes and serve hot on cooked pasta. (I also make quick pizzas with this sauce, spreading it over whole wheat pita rounds, topping it with feta cheese and broiling for 3 or 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.)

Lobio

2 14-oz cans cooked red kidney beans

1 cup chopped red onion

3 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive iol

3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped or broken

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the kidney beans and place them in a medium bowl. Toss with the onion, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, walnuts and all other ingredients. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Serve with crumbled feta.

So Dimitri Medvedev is the President-elect of Russia. Big suprise. Oh well, he's easier on the eyes than Mr. Putin.