Sometimes, you just have to use up what’s in the fridge. Call it guilt, not wanting to let perfectly good produce go to waste, or call it thrift, since we paid for that food, may as well use it. Whatever the motivator, the mis-matched, partially used, and almost forgotten bits and pieces must come out of the fridge eventually. Our solution is usually just to throw them all in a pasta. Which sometimes, doesn’t go so well. You end up with a bland or just plain sorry excuse for a dinner.

But other times, this improvised leftover dish turns out to be simply delicious. I’d go so far as to say it is one of the best things we’ve made (for dinner) in weeks. And something we will intentionally purchase the ingredients to make again. Success. Our clear-out-the-fridge game show meal has now become a weeknight staple.

Brussels sprouts get a bad wrap. And sure, they can be bitter if cooked incorrectly (then again, chocolate can be bitter too, so what does that say about Brussels sprouts?) The trick to this dish, and keeping it’s quick-cooking time in tact is the shred. Think of the sprout as a mini cabbage. Just thinly slice it crosswise much like you would a whole head of cabbage. What you end up with are nutty ribbons of Brussels sprout bliss. Yes, I just used Brussels sprouts and bliss in the same sentence. And I meant it, too.

Sometimes the best pasta dishes are those that don’t really have a sauce. There is no congealed, curdled, or creamy concoction coating the noodles… there is simply no need for it. Rather, the ingredients co-mingle with the spaghetti, playing off the pancetta and the nuttiness of the Brussel sprouts with the just barely cooked cherry tomatoes. Needless to say, there is no lack of flavor here.

Sauce is so overrated.

Spaghetti with Pancetta and Brussels Sprouts

Makes 4-6 servings.

Ingredients
16 oz. spaghetti
2 oz pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
about 1 dozen Brussels sprouts, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, preheat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add pancetta, and a dash of olive oil if your pancetta is particularly lean. Cook until just starting to brown.

Add garlic and onion and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add Brussels sprouts to pan and cook until tender and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and quickly saute until just softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain spaghetti, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add noodles to Brussels sprout mixture. Toss until coated, adding pasta water a bit at a time if necessary. Divide onto plates. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

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Oh. My. God. If you could take perfection, roll it in a ball, and dip it chocolate, this would be it. I’m not joking here folks. I’d strongly advise you to put down the mouse and get your butt to the kitchen, stat. Even Taylor firmly declared these the best thing I’ve ever baked. Even though there was technically no baking involved, I’m still taking that as a hint that I did good. I did real good. And we’ve been enjoying the product of that goodness all week long.

My apologies to the New Years’ resolution folk. I tried to hold off until at least February to post these, but I just couldn’t do it. Call it a little treat to yourself for doing so well up until this point. While one of these little guys won’t hurt, good luck practicing self-restraint when faced with a cookie sheet full of them. It’s not easy. What is easy is whipping them up. Which I encourage you to go do. Immediately.

The cookie dough itself is egg-free, and potentially dairy free AND vegan if you get picky about what you coat them with. I used a bag of dark chocolate candy coating, available at craft stores, specialty baking stores, or online. While the brand I used did have a slightly fake-chocolate taste when I sampled a wafer beforehand, the final product was a thin and delicious chocolate coating that hardened into a beautifully snappy shell. Feel free to use pure semi-sweet or dark chocolate to coat these, but I didn’t want to have to deal with tempering and all that jazz. The chocolate wafers are a beautiful and simple solution. And, as I discovered purely by accident, one 14oz bag was the perfect amount of coating for one batch of truffles. One batch meaning about 4 dozen or so. One batch that we have been hoarding all for ourselves. Posting this recipe is the closest thing to sharing I’m willing to do.

Take it or leave it (but I strongly suggest you take it. Now).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Makes approx. 3-4 dozen.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

Directions
Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add soymilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week (though good luck making them last that long).

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Taylor has an unhealthy obsession with Pho (or rather, it is actually fairly healthy by comparison to his other cravings). If given the option, he could eat Pho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And probably a few meals in between.

You may be asking, Pho? Huh? What exactly, is Pho? Pho (pronounced fuh, not po) is a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually beef-based. It’s a unique flavor, made by simmering beef bones for hours and hours with a curious blend of spices. The incredible effort needed to make good beef pho is probably the reason we have yet to attempt to make it at home. We may make homemade pasta and pita bread from scratch, but we have to draw the line somewhere.

Which is why Taylor was practically jumping up and down when we flipped through the Steamy Kitchen cookbook (which, by the way, be bought ME as a Christmas gift), and there was a recipe for quick chicken pho. Keyword: quick. The boy practically demanded we go out and buy a chicken immediately to get started (keep in mind this was 9:30am Christmas morning). Not to mention how he’s been bugging me to “post the pho” daily since we made it last week.

I think he liked it, don’t you?

While I’m not nearly as big of a pho-groupie as Taylor, I admit the flavors of the broth are very soothing. It’s like the Vietnamese version of chicken noodle soup. Just be wary of anything called a “beef ball”. That is some scary stuff.

This recipe held up even for the most adamant pho-natic (ie: Taylor). He said the broth had all the same delicious flavors as the beef-based counterpart. In a fraction of the time.

Would it surprise you if I said we’re going to be making this quite often? Taylor’s orders. Pho sure.

Quick Vietnamese Chicken Pho

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Steamy Kitchen.

Ingredients
1 lb dried rice noodles

SOUP BASE
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts chicken stock (store bought or homemade)
1 whole chicken breast
1/2 onion
1 3-inch chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce

ACCOMPANIMENTS
2 cups bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off
fresh cilantro tops
1/2 cup shaved red onions
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
sriracha chili sauce
hoisin sauce
sliced fresh chili peppers

Directions
To make the broth, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves, and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately remove from pan to avoid burning.

In a large pot, add spices, chicken stock, chicken breast, onion, ginger, sugar, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently. Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat, discarding the bone (if you used a bone-in breast).

Taste broth and add more fish sauce or sugar if necessary. Strain the broth and discard solids.

Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.

Ladle the broth into bowls. Divide the shredding chicken breast and noodles evenly into each bowl. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, red onion, and other accompaniments as desired and enjoy.

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Pizza toppings and panini fillings are virtually interchangeable. Anything that is good on a panini will be just as delicious on top of a pizza. Case in point, this panini, which we made a while back, virtually mimics this pizza, the only difference being the addition of caramelized onions.

I really love sauce-less pizzas. I really really love sauce-less pizzas with goat cheese. Which is why we make so many of them. And I don’t think I will ever deviate from my favorite crust recipe, which produces a crisp and chewy crust. With a splash of olive oil and a dash of dried herbs and fennel, the result is probably closer to a focaccia bread than a traditional pizza crust. Which makes it that much more unique and delicious. But do plan ahead – the dough requires at least 6 hours for the yeasty flavors to properly develop.

Pear, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 3-4 servings.

Ingredients
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 firm-ripe pear, halved, cored, and cut into thin slices
8 very thin prosciutto slices, torn into pieces
3 oz soft mild goat cheese, crumbled

Directions
To make crust, pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute, stirring frequently, 10 to 12 minutes or until onions are caramel colored and soft. Remove from heat.

Bake crust for 5-7 minutes or until just set, pressing down any large bubbles that might form. Remove from oven and quickly brush crust with olive oil and top with onions, pear, prosciutto, and cheese.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheese begins to brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer pizza to board. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

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2009 was filled with delicious things, and many of those things were cupcakes. Literally hundreds of cupcakes. As I look back on everything we’ve eaten this year, so many wonderful memories come along with the dishes. There were birthdays and holidays and special occasion dinners… and oh yeah, a wedding. That alone makes this year one to remember.

I don’t want to get all soupy and sappy on you now, but I did want to take a quick look back at what I consider the best recipes and posts of 2009. My favorites. The ones, when looking back through the archives, brought a smile to my face or a growl in my belly. The meals that have become memories.

I hope you’re hungry…

(1) Double Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling / (2) Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw / (3) Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes / (4) Baked Panko Chicken Tenders with Basil Aioli / (5) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes / (6) Mongolian Beef / (7) Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream / (8) Prosciutto, Pear, and Goat Cheese Panini / (9) A Love & Olive Oil Wedding

(1) Red Pesto Penne with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese / (2) White Chocolate Bread / (3) The Go-To Chocolate Cupcake / (4) Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel / (5) Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream / (6) Eggplant Parmigiana Heros / (7) Bettie Landis’ Gingerbread Cookies / (8) Cherry-Filled Almond Cupcakes / (9) Vanilla Cake with Tiramisu Buttercream and Ganache Filling

What will this next year bring? I have no way of knowing, but I can only hope it is sugary and sweet and swirled with buttercream. As we speak I’m preparing to celebrate Love & Olive Oil’s third birthday, which, without you, would not be something to celebrate. Prepare yourselves, I am confident this year is going to be a great one! Here’s to a happy and healthy 2010!

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