I Can Make You Hot! (37 page)

Stir in the soy milk and flour and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until thickened. Add the vodka and continue to cook 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the pasta, garnished with the basil. If you like a smooth sauce, you can purée the finished sauce in a blender before serving.

Michael Ferraro’s Chilled Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic, Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan

Michael Ferraro is the executive chef at Delicatessen, the restaurant where I filmed many an episode of the
Real Housewives of New York City
in Seasons 3 and 4.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

One 16-ounce package angel hair pasta
^*

6 tablespoons good-quality, extra-virgin olive oil

4 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and diced, juices reserved

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch fresh basil, cut into chiffonade (see
footnote
)

½ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and spread out on a baking sheet or platter to cool. (Spreading it out will prevent it from sticking together, and it will cool faster.)

Toss the tomatoes with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

When the pasta is cool, transfer it to a large bowl and toss it with the tomatoes and their liquid. Toss in the basil, parsley, garlic, the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil, the red wine vinegar, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Season again with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta evenly among four bowls and garnish each portion with some of the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Crazy Crushed Potatoes

These are great just the way they are—the soy milk is slightly sweet and the olive oil is a lot more heart-healthy than butter—but for something really special, add a splash of truffle oil to the mix.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until easily pierced with a fork.

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and mash until your arm hurts. Garnish with the chopped fresh thyme, if using.

VARIATION
: Use the same recipe to make
Sweet Monster Mashed Potatoes
. Not only are the sweet potatoes yummy but they’re full of vitamin A and beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant.

kill me with kindness

I love these potatoes, but if you really want to kill me with kindness, just serve me a baked potato topped with caviar. I will literally do anything you want—within reason. I don’t generally cook with a lot of fancy ingredients, but caviar is my weakness.

Yummy Yams

Yams with marshmallows are everyone’s favorite for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but these are so easy that you can make them for Sunday Funday (or any day) all year round.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

4 medium yams or sweet potatoes

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ cup maple syrup

1 cup mini marshmallows

Peel the yams with a vegetable peeler. Slice them in half lengthwise, then slice the halves into ¾-inch-thick strips.

Spray a nonstick baking pan with organic cooking spray, spread the sliced yams in the pan. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar, drizzle with the maple syrup, spread the marshmallows on top, and bake in a 350° F oven until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork and the marshmallows are browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Pineapple Fried Rice

This is my own play on my favorite Thai pineapple fried rice recipe. It’s what I ate every day when I was filming the
Real Housewives of New York City
. I need energy, and I crave flavor. This recipe provides both.

Try using quinoa in this recipe instead of the rice—I call that having your cake and eating it too!

MAKES 3 TO 4 SERVINGS

For the Rice

2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil

3 to 4 cups jasmine rice cooked according to the package directions instead of water in pineapple juice

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

½ cup frozen broccoli florets

¼ cup vegetable stock

1 small can pineapple chunks, drained

¹
/
₃
cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime

For the Stir-Fry Sauce

3 tablespoons regular or low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons classic curry powder

½ teaspoon dark brown sugar (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped dried lemongrass

¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk

Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the oil with the rice, using your fingers to separate any chunks into individual grains. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In a small bowl, stir the soy sauce and curry powder together. Stir in the sugar, if using, until it dissolves. Stir in the lemongrass and coconut milk and add the pepper flakes, if using, and set aside.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil to a wok or a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the spring onions for about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.

If the wok becomes dry, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable stock or as needed to keep the ingredients sizzling. Add the rice and pineapple chunks and toss to incorporate with the other ingredients. Toss in the cilantro. Add the soy sauce mixture and toss.

Remove from the heat and add a squeeze or two of lime juice. Scoop the rice onto a serving platter or into a carved-out pineapple.

spice it up

Using herbs and spices is a great way to add flavor to your food without adding calories.

Black Beans and Rice

Black beans and rice was not always my go-to meal, but when I was studying at Columbia University and traveling a lot, I lived on Fourteenth Street and wasn’t keen on eating out by myself or cooking for one at home. At the time, there was a coffee shop near my apartment that made amazing beans and rice. I had already survived well on café con leche and peas in Paris, so why not channel South American culture and eat beans and rice in New York? After my morning run I’d stop in for a
café con leche,
and on my way home from class in the evening, I’d pick up an order of black beans and rice. We all know that my food pyramid is a diamond, but back then, when I was single and my phantom boyfriend was Geoffrey Chaucer, it didn’t seem to matter. Now that I’ve started going steady with my dehydrator, I love to garnish my black beans and rice with zucchini chips. Make a big batch of this recipe and keep it in the refrigerator to heat up whenever you like. That way you’ll be eating good food instead of snacking on something that isn’t nutritious.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

1 cup uncooked brown rice or quinoa (see below)

One 15-ounce can Goya black beans

Goya seasoning with cilantro and achiote or Tabasco

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Dehydrated zucchini chips, for garnish (optional)

Cook the rice according to the package directions. (To cook quinoa, see below.)

While the rice is boiling, put the beans in a pot, mix in the seasoning, cilantro, and garlic and heat through.

Top the cooked rice with the seasoned beans and garnish with the zucchini chips.

about quinoa

Quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain, and it is one of the few plant foods that is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all of the essential amino acids that your body cannot manufacture on its own. It makes a great substitute for rice in many recipes and can be eaten on its own as a side dish or a nutritious, pick-me-up snack.

To cook quinoa

Place 2 cups of water and 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the water is absorbed.

Barley Without the Bullfight

Turkey chorizo is tangy and lean. I love the Spanish flavor it brings to otherwise bland barley—opposites do attract!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

6 ½ cups water

2 cups barley

2 turkey chorizo links, each about 6 inches long

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 leek, white and a bit of the green part, chopped

1 large Portobello mushroom, sliced

½ cup chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, bring 6 cups of the water and the barley to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 1 hour.

In a medium skillet over high heat, combine the remaining ½ cup of water and the chorizo and sauté until the water evaporates. Add the vegetable oil to the pan and continue cooking, turning the chorizo until it is browned on all sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and add the leek and mushroom. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and slightly brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill.

Transfer the barley and vegetables to a large serving bowl and mix well. Slice the chorizo ¼-inch thick and spread it on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and add additional chopped dill for garnish.

Quick-and-Easy Chunky Hummus

People tend to think of hummus as fattening, but chickpeas are low in saturated fat and high in fiber. So long as the hummus isn’t drenched in oil, it makes a great snack or appetizer. Serve it with jicama chips, kale chips, baked pita chips, or try it with my baked chips. (See
footnote
.) It’s also great as a dip with fresh vegetables such as sliced Jicama, broccoli florets, or cherry tomatoes.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

¹
/
₃
cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

White and/or cayenne pepper

In a bowl, mash the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini together with the back of a fork. The hummus should be chunky, but if you like yours smooth you can combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor instead. Season to taste with white and/or cayenne pepper.

tasty toppings

Both hummus and guacamole make great toppings for steak or fish. They’re my version of béarnaise sauce. A spoonful goes a long way.

Have an Impromptu Pepper Party

Here’s an easy way to make a quick, fun, and satisfying meal for family and friends and clean out the refrigerator all at once. Just mix and match the ingredients listed here, and add more fun flavors of your own.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 each: green, red, orange, and yellow bell peppers

Diced leftover chicken

Chopped mushrooms

Cooked couscous

Cooked rice

Newman’s Own vodka sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese

Crumbled feta cheese

Olive oil