36 MyTown February/March 2010 www.mytownmonthly.com | Facebook Page : MyTown Monthly magazine

SHELLI ATTAWAYShelli and her husband love to cooktogether. They decided that theywould try a new recipe everySaturday night. Check out therecipes they are cooking this week:www.newrecipesaturday.blogspot.com

Dare to Cook DifferentIn planning out this month’s feature, I thought I would try something new. Over the next fewmonths, we are going to visit several different countries by exploring their unique cuisine. Wewill begin with Italy, and then venture on to Mexico and Greece! Remember, cooking shouldalways be fun, but it should be an adventure. Stepping out of that box and trying somethingnew is what gets us started on the trip! Buon Appe�to! Let’s get cooking…

Winter Minestrone

I love winter�me. And I love all of the soupsthat come with this season. Since we arenearing the end of winter in Georgia, I reallywanted to share this Italian classic with you.There are as many ways to make minestroneas there are cooks who make it, but thisversion was inspired by the one FoodNetwork chef Giada de Lauren�is makes(with a few tweaks, of course). It is a verynice “comfort type” soup.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil1 onion, chopped2 carrots, peeled, chopped2 celery stalks, chopped3 ounces thinly sliced pance�a, coarsely chopped2 garlic cloves, minced1 pound Kale, stems trimmed, leaves chopped1 russet potato, peeled, cubed1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes1 fresh rosemary sprig1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium beef broth2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leavesSalt and PepperParmesan Cheese

Let’s get started by hea�ng the oil in a largeheavy pot over medium heat. Add the carrots,onion, celery, pance�a and garlic and seasonwith salt and pepper. Sauté for about 10minutes. Add in the kale and potato andsauté for 2-5 minutes. I actually covered thepot at this point to help the greens wilt down.Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig (I de-leafed mine first). Simmer un�l the greens arewilted - about 10 minutes.

While the greens are wil�ng down, blend 3/4cup of the beans with 1/4 of the broth in aprocessor un�l almost smooth. Add thepureed mixture, remaining broth, remainingbeans and a nice sprinkle of Parmesan Cheeseto the vegetable mixture. Season with saltand pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutesun�l the potato pieces are tender, s�rringoccasionally.

Ladle the soup into bowls, top with someparsley, and most importantly, Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant Pasta with GoatCheese

Who doesn’t love Eggplant Parmesan? Thisrecipe reminds me of just that, without all ofthe frying and breading! You cannot see theeggplant in this dish, but trust me, youcertainly can taste it. The goat cheesecrumbled on top adds a nice creamy texture!

Ingredients:

2 small, firm eggplants, peel and cut, 1 inch cubes1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oilSalt and freshly ground pepper6-8 garlic cloves, cracked from the skins 1 lb penne rigate pasta1 medium onion, finely chopped1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes20-25 fresh basil leaves, shredded2 cups Goat Cheese, crumbled

Let's cook! Turn on the oven to 425F whileyou cut up the eggplant and crack the garlic.Place the garlic and eggplant on a bakingsheet (you may need two). Brush theeggplant and garlic with 1/2 cup olive oil thenlightly add salt and pepper. Roast for 18-20minutes.

Cook your pasta according to packagedirec�ons. While the eggplant is roas�ng andthe pasta is cooking, chop up the onion andbasil. Here is a trick I use when cu�ng freshbasil. I gather several leaves together and rollthem up. Then slice. You have nice li�le stripsof basil when you are finished.

Ok! Heat a large skillet over medium heat,add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté theonions. Meanwhile, the eggplant should befinished. Take it out and place it into a foodprocessor and process into a smooth paste.Add the paste to the onions and s�r in thetomatoes. Adjust salt and pepper as neededand heat the tomatoes. Right before serving,s�r in the basil then top with the goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Amare� Cake

I am 100% in love with this cake! Its texture makesme think of a brownie and a cheesecake. When Icame across this recipe by Giada de Lauren�is, I knewI would fall in love. I searched high and low for theamare� cookies that the recipe calls for. Let me helpyou out – Fresh Market! Go there now, grab some,and make this delicious cake!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips1 cup slivered almonds1 cup amare� cookies1 s�ck unsalted bu�er, at room temperature2/3 cup sugar2 teaspoons grated orange zest4 large eggsAbout 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with nons�ck spray,place it in the fridge, and preheat the oven to 350degrees F. Then, in a small bowl, melt the chocolatechips, s�rring every 30 seconds, un�l melted andsmooth.

Combine the almonds and amare� cookies in a foodprocessor and pulse un�l finely ground. Transfer thatto a bowl and set aside. Place the bu�er, sugar andorange zest in the food processor and process un�lsmooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a �me, withthe machine running. Finally, add the nut mixture backto the processor along with the melted chocolate.Pulse un�l blended.

Pour the ba�er into the spring form pan and bake forabout 35 minutes, un�l the center puffs up and a testercomes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutesbefore si�ing the cocoa powder. Enjoy!

Want more recipes? Check out Shelli’s blog at

www.newrecipesaturday.blogspot.com

February/March 2010 MyTown 37

38 MyTown February/March 2010 www.mytownmonthly.com | Facebook Page : MyTown Monthly magazine

SHELLI ATTAWAYShelli and her husband love to cooktogether. They decided that theywould try a new recipe everySaturday night. Check out therecipes they are cooking this week:www.newrecipesaturday.blogspot.com

Dare to Cook Differentcontinued from pages 36 & 37

Baked Tilapia, Lemon Spaghe�,Broccoli and Green Beans

This meal makes for a very beau�ful plate! Usingthe freshest of foods whenever possible reallydoes infuse the flavors of your meals. Eventhough you have three parts to this meal, it issimple to put together. Keep in mind that any ofthese three parts can be served with other sidesor your main dish. The spaghe� makes 6 sidedish servings and the broccoli/green beans make 4side dish servings.

Ingredients (Tilapia)s:2-3 Tilapia filetsFish Seasoning: 1/2 teaspoon each of chili powder,

garlic powder, salt and black pepper

Ingredients (Lemon Spaghe�):2/3 cup olive oil2/3 grated Parmesan Cheese1/2 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 pound dried spaghe�1/3 cup chopped fresh basil1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Ingredients (Broccoli and Green Beans):8 cups broccoli florets1/2 pound green beans, rimmed1/2 cup olive oil2 garlic cloves, minced1 1/2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Let’s begin with the fish. Lightly drizzle thefilets with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of thefish with the seasoning mixture and bake inthe oven at 400F for 18-22 minutes or un�l itflakes easily.

Let’s prepare the Lemon Spaghe�. In a bowl,whisk the oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice,salt and pepper. Set aside. Bring a large potof salted water to a boil. Add in the spaghe�and cook according to package direc�ons.Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, andadd the spaghe� to the lemon sauce, tossingwith the basil and lemon zest. Add 1/4 cup ofthe pasta water at a �me to moisten. Seasonwith more salt and pepper if needed.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, add thebroccoli and cook just un�l the color brightens(about 2 minutes). Transfer the broccoli to abowl of ice water to cool then drain and setaside. In the same pot of boiling water, cook

the green beans about 4 minutes. Transfer toa boil of ice water to cool then drain and setaside. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil, garlic,and red pepper flakes. Add in the broccoli andgreen beans, along with 1/2 teaspoon each ofsalt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutesun�l the veggies are heated and crisp-tender.Season with more red pepper flakes, salt andpepper if needed. Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp with Arugula Pesto

Pesto is extremely easy to make and veryversa�le (and freezes well). You can serve itwith toasted Italian bread or top it overpasta. Adding shrimp (or any other meat) tothis meal makes for a light weeknight dinnerthat is healthy and filling.

Ingredients (Pesto):

2 cups (packed) fresh baby arugula1 garlic clove1/2 cup olive oil1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper12 oz pasta (your choice)

Ingredients (Grilled Shrimp):

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined2 tablespoons salt1/2 teaspoon pepper

Let’s get started. First, place a pot of water onthe stove, bring to a boil, and cook your pastaof choice according to package direc�ons.

In a food processor, blend the arugula andgarlic un�l finely chopped. With the machines�ll running, slowly add the olive oil un�lblended. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and mixin the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mixover your choice of cooked pasta.

Prepare an indoor grill (our outdoor if youprefer) on medium high heat with 1 teaspoonof olive oil. Brush 2 tablespoons of olive oilover the shrimp, and then sprinkle with saltand pepper. Grill the shrimp un�l cookedthrough, about 3 minutes per side.

Plate the shrimp over the arugula pesto pastaand Enjoy!