Power Packed Salami Pasta

During Covid-19 Michael Symon has been making daily meals in his home kitchen using pantry items—often in his slippers. His “can do” attitude is encouraging as he urges viewers to use his recipes as guides and adapt them to whatever is on hand. He even provides a substitution list. 

Recently his recipe titled Pasta with Beans, Crispy Lunch Meat, Greens and Garlic caught my eye as I had leftover salami, a half can of cannelini beans, fresh tomatoes and some spinach—all in need of use.  Instead of making his full recipe, I cut in in half (full recipe is included below), adapted it to what I had on hand and changed the name . . . with full credit still going to Michael!  

This is a  20-MINUTE MEAL that’s PACKED WITH FLAVOR, PROTEIN and PANTRY ITEMS! It's creamy, too . . . without added cream or butter. 

This recipe took me on a trip down memory lane as I remembered standing at the meat counter as the butcher sliced luncheon meats according to my mom’s specifications. Dad liked bologna but my sister and I begged for the mac & cheese and/or pickle-pimento varieties. And, then there was a memorable fried bologna sandwich that Barbara Partin and I fried up in her mom's kitchen when we were teens. We cut a large slice of her sister’s German Chocolate Cake to accompany our sandwiches and dined “al fresco” near the tent she had set up in the  back yard.  

 

Power Packed Salami Pasta    4 to 6 servings

Salt 

One 1-pound box pasta (I used large elbow macaroni)

1/4 cup oil (I used olive oil)

8 ounces lunch meat, sliced thin (I used hard uncured salami)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

One 15-ounce can beans, rinsed (I used cannelini)

2 cups fresh greens (I used  spinach)

About 1 ½ cups tomatoes (I used fresh tomatoes that I peeled, seeded and cut into chunks)

2 tablespoons grated hard cheese (I used Parmesan)

1 teaspoon chili flakes, optional (I used just a sprinkling)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Drop the pasta in the water and give it a stir. Cook according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the salami and cook until crisp. 
   
3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, an additional minute. Add the beans, greens, and tomatoes; cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
   
4. Add the pasta and reserved pasta water (because I added tomatoes and they expelled their juices as the mixture cooked, I did not need the extra pasta water) to the pan and simmer for several minutes as sauce thickens.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Remove from the heat, toss in the cheese and chili flakes if using and serve.
   
   We served our pasta with Turkish Bread..

Recipe without photos . . .

Power Packed Salami Pasta    4 to 6 servings

Salt 

One 1-pound box pasta (I used large elbow macaroni)

1/4 cup oil (I used olive oil)

8 ounces lunch meat, sliced thin (I used hard uncured salami)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

One 15-ounce can beans, rinsed (I used cannelini)

2 cups fresh greens (I used  spinach)

About 1 ½ cups tomatoes (I used fresh tomatoes that I peeled, seeded and cut into chunks)

2 tablespoons grated hard cheese (I used Parmesan)

1 teaspoon chili flakes, optional (I used just a sprinkling)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Drop the pasta in the water and give it a stir. Cook according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the salami and cook until crisp. 
3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, an additional minute. Add the beans, greens, and tomatoes; cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
4. Add the pasta and reserved pasta water (because I added tomatoes and they expelled their juices as the mixture cooked, I did not need the extra pasta water) to the pan and simmer for 1 minute.
5. Remove from the heat, toss in the cheese and chili flakes if using and serve.

PAT Pasta Party -- BEST TOMATO SAUCE

One of the comments from the USD 435's Parents as Teachers Pasta Party on 4/20/15 was "Homemade sauce is way better than canned." I agree! The  recipe from the cookbook Good and Cheap, by Leanne Brown, is simple and quite adaptable to personal tastes. For the party, we increased the quantity to serve 50 + made a few adjustments and changes which I've outlined below.
Also, we cooked mostly WHOLE GRAIN SPAGHETTI, mixed with some regular spaghetti (about 2/3 whole grain to 1/3 regular) . . . if you are trying to transition your family from regular to whole wheat, this is a great way to do it.
The sauce is meat free but we figured that there were quite a few meat lovers in our group, so Barry came early and cooked the meat additions — for 50, he sautéed 2 finely chopped onions and 2 diced green peppers; then he added 4 lbs. of ground chuck and 1 lb. of ground pork and cooked it until it was nicely browned. Then he added a couple of bay leaves, salt and pepper, quite a bit of Italian seasoning and 2 diced zucchini (this is a great way to add more vegetables to your diet and most didn't even realize they were in the sauce!).  He simmered this for about 30 minutes and then we eventually added the BEST TOMATO SAUCE to the meat mixture. As families went though the buffet, they could select either meat sauce or plain tomato sauce.

The rest of the menu included: Garden salad (a blend of spinach, baby kale, Chinese cabbage, head lettuce, romaine, finely sliced red cabbage, shredded carrots and quartered grape tomatoes) + warm garlic bread.

A BIG thanks to volunteers: Barry, Kohl's associates, National Honor Society students, Kelly and Denise. It was a FUN evening and your help was invaluable!

By the way, this event was made possible by our grant from the Community Foundation of  Dickinson County. It is the second of five cooking sessions based on the cookbook Good and Cheap, by Leanne Brown.

We made Cornmeal Crusted Veggies from Ms. Brown's cookbook during the first cooking session. 

Barry and Brandon (a National Honor Student from AHS) cooking up a batch of sauce.

Volunteers Denise, Kelleye + Sarah cooking up batches of sauce. 

Barry and a Kohl's volunteer washing up the dishes.

BEST TOMATO SAUCE with a few of our additions
1 tablespoon olive oil
About 1/4 cup onions (our addition)
3 clove garlic, finely chopped
16 oz. can tomatoes, crushed or diced (I actually purchased cans of both + some tomato sauce and mixed them all together when preparing the large quantity of sauce)
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes 
About 2 to 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning (our addition)
About 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (our addition; it cuts the acid in the tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add the olive oil to a saucepan on medium heat. 
2. Add the onions and sauté until almost tender and translucent; add the garlic about the last 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, mix and cook until warmed through.
4. Add the chili flakes, Italian seasoning, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Simmer sauce for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
6. Check taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

   

   PAT families going through the buffet.

   

   PAT families enjoying their pasta meal. 

3 competition-style recipes -- Kansas ProStart student competition

The Abilene High School culinary team has been working and is ready for the Kansas ProStart competition being held in Wichita March 3-4. Below are the recipes they are preparing. See the story I wrote about this competition, "Abilene High School Students Cook Up Talent!" on the Abilene Kansas blog. All photos were taken by Sarah Geiger

Teia Potter’s POTSTICKERS     Makes 2 portions

Pan frying is the technique employed in this dish. It’s a shallow frying method where the food is only partially covered in oil. Teia drops her potstickers in oil that is hot enough to ensure that the moisture in them can escape in the form of steam. The force of that steam also keeps the oil from soaking into the potstickers. Concerning the origin of her recipe, she explained, “It’s a mix between what I found online and my mom’s family recipe for egg rolls.”

Ingredients

Potsticker Filling

   ¼ lb. ground pork

   ⅛ cup (2 tablespoons) chopped scallions (green onions)

   1 ⅛ teaspoon grated ginger root

   3 tablespoons vegetable oil

   2 tablespoons finely chopped cabbage

   1 tablespoon soy sauce

---

6 wonton skins  

---

Sauce  

   1 tablespoon granulated sugar

   1 tablespoon rice vinegar

   1 tablespoon water

   ¼ teaspoon sesame oil

--

Additional vegetable oil for pan frying 

Directions

Potsticker Filling: Brown the pork in a skillet. Combine cooked pot with remaining ingredients.

To Assemble Pot Stickers: Brush edges of the skin lightly with water; place about a rounded ½ teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold, shape and seal edges.

Pan Frying: Heat just enough additional vegetable oil to partially cover pot stickers as they fry.

Sauce: Mix together sauce ingredients and serve as an accompaniment to pot stickers.

 Teia works on plating her potstickers.

Teia’s offering includes three potstickers with dipping sauce.

Issaih Lopez’s KUNG PAO BEEF     Makes 4 servings

After consulting with Mrs. Farr, his culinary instructor, Issaih decided to use a cookie cutter to mold the rice that accompanies his Asian entrée. He also noted, “I combined two recipes but the first time I made this dish, we determined it was too salty.” He tried two more adjustments, and after his third try, he said, “I got it just right this time!”

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. boneless beef sirloin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry

1 egg white, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil

4 dried red chiles, split

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ tablespoon grated ginger root

1 teaspoon Szechwan pepper, toasted and crushed 

2 scallions (green onions), cut in ½” pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut in pieces

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine or sherry

2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

⅓ cup roasted peanuts

Directions

Trim fat from the steak and cut into 1” cubes. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine/sherry, egg white and salt in a glass bowl. Add the beef and stir to coat. Marinate for 1 hour, covered in the refrigerator.

Place peanut/corn oil in a wok, swirling to coat the sides, and place over high heat. Add the chilies and cook until they begin to darken. Add the garlic, ginger and Szechwan pepper; continue to cook to infuse the oil. Add the scallions and bell pepper. Remove the steak from the marinade and add it to the wok. Stir-fry the beef for 3 minutes until brown. Blend in soy sauce, rice wine, Chinese vinegar, sugar and chicken broth. Dissolve the cornstarch slurry and add it to the sauce, stirring, to thicken. Sprinkle in the peanuts and stir to coat. Serve over rice.

Issaih Lopez stirs the ingredients for his Kung Pao Beef as Stephanie Mikulecky assists in the background.

Rice accompanies Issaih’s entrée dish that is garnished with a carrot flower.

Addie Alvarez’s STRAWBERRY-FILLED WONTON CUPS

Addie found the strawberry filling recipe online but had to tweak it to adjust the sweetness. She adds that filling and chocolate sauce to squeeze bottles for ease in dispensing, and to create the eye-catching chocolate designs on her dessert plate. She put her own spin on this dish by creating flower-shaped wonton cups that hold the sauce.

Strawberry Filling (this makes enough for several serving)

   1 cup fresh strawberries

   ½ cup granulated sugar

   2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix ingredients together on a stovetop in a pan, mashing the strawberries. Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes a thick paste.

Wonton Cups (ingredients & instructions for 1 serving of 3 wonton cups)

   3 wonton skins

   1 tablespoon vegetable oil

   1 tablespoon granulated sugar

   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Using a cookie cutter, cut each wonton skin into a flower design. Lightly fry the skins in a pan with a small amount of hot oil. Remove and place them in the bottom of a small bowl (the bowl of a measuring cup works, too), allowing the skins to form into a cup shape. Mix sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture over the cup shapes.

Garnishes

   Chocolate plating sauce

   Whipped cream (made by whisking ½ cup heavy whipping cream with 1 tablespoon

   granulated sugar)

   Whole strawberries, partially cut lengthwise and fanned, then dusted with granulated

   sugar (1 per dessert plate)

To Assemble: Decorate dessert plate with chocolate sauce. Arrange 3 wonton flower cups on plate and fill with strawberry mixture; top each with a dollop of whipped cream. Add a fanned and sugared strawberry to each plate.

Addie sprinkles cinnamon sugar over a lightly fried, flower-shaped wonton dessert cup.

Pleasing to look at, delicious to eat—Addie’s Strawberry-filled Wonton Cups.       

Calabacitas y Maiz — Zucchini & Corn

     

     When I interviewed Dennis Medina for my monthly cooking column in the Abilene Reflector-Chronicle (1/30/07), he provided his grandmother's recipe for zucchini and corn. He makes it often and it is incredibly delicious, and easy, too. The following is what was include as the header for his recipe . . .
      Grandma Maes' name for this side dish is Calabacitas y Maize. Although this vegetable dish has its roots in Spanish and Mexican culture, it is very versatile and make a nice addition to almost any meal, especially egg dishes.
     Since I was just making this for two, I adjusted the amounts and didn't really worry about exact measurements.

Zucchini & Corn

4 to 6 cups zucchini sliced thin – about ⅛”

2 tablespoons oil (1 Tbsp. olive and 1 Tbsp. vegetable)

Pinch of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt (or less)

¼ teaspoon crushed red chile

Whole kernel frozen corn — Dennis usually adds enough to equal approximately half the amount of squash

1. Cook squash in oil on low to medium heat. 
   
2. Add sugar, parsley, garlic powder, salt and red pepper.  Continue cooking squash until it’s translucent. 
3. Add corn and heat through.
   

To access our other zucchini recipes, scroll down on the right side of this page until you locate LABELS  (our ingredient list), then scroll down to zucchini. Once you've clicked on it, part of our recipes for zucchini will show up; to see the rest, click on Older Posts at the bottom right of the last post that is visible.

Recipe without photos . . . 

Zucchini & Corn

4 to 6 cups zucchini sliced thin – about ⅛”

2 tablespoons oil (1 Tbsp. olive and 1 Tbsp. vegetable)

Pinch of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt (or less)

¼ teaspoon crushed red chile

Whole kernel frozen corn — Dennis usually adds enough to equal approximately half the amount of squash

1. Cook squash in oil on low to medium heat. 
2. Add sugar, parsley, garlic powder, salt and red pepper.  Continue cooking squash until it’s translucent. 
3. Add corn and heat through.

Pickle a Peck of Dill Okra

After removing the jars from the canner, they
are placed on a cooling rack.

   Pickled Okra is a nice addition to a relish tray, great to set out at a cocktail party, a wonderful veggie addition to a Bloody Mary bar, and it makes great stocking stuffers! That’s right – I did say “stocking stuffers.”

     When our nephews, Daelyn and Jeremy West, were young they loved the stuff so their grandmother, Fern West, always made a point of canning lots of jars, and she always saved a few to add to their stockings each year. And, yes, she easily pickled a peck, or more, of dill okra each summer (a peck is equal to a quarter of a bushel = 8 US quarts or 8.81 liters). Pickled okra certainly recalls fond memories in the West family.

     All pickled okra recipes follow a standard format and although this one varies slightly from Fern’s Dill Okra, it is basically the same with a few additions (peppercorns & mustard seeds). Although okra is what is termed a “low-acid” veggie, the addition of vinegar makes it suitable for the water-bath canning method.   

      For detailed instructions and guidelines for safe home canning, from jar sterilization to choosing the right canning method (water bath vs. pressure cooking) to testing jar seals, go to the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving.

Pickled Dill Okra   Yield: 4 pint-sized jars

2 pounds young, small to medium okra pods

4 small dried chiles, split in 1/2

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

4 sprigs fresh dill or about 4+ teaspoons dried dill weed (or use dill seeds)

4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

¼  cup kosher salt

2 cups white or rice wine vinegar (rice wine is a bit milder & sweeter)

2 cups water

1. Wash the okra and trim the stems so that just about ½” of the stem is left.

2.  Place 1 chili, 2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 sprigs of dill, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns in the bottom of each of 4 sterilized pint canning jars.

3.  Divide the okra evenly among the 4 jars, standing them up vertically, alternating stems up and down.

Jar on the right has been filled with the flavorings; cleaned & trimmed okra
has been added to the one of the left.

4.  In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, bring the salt, vinegar and water to a boil. Once boiling, pour this brining mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving ½ ” headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid. Remove air bubbles by running a knife down the edges of the jar. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel. Screw bands onto jars. Note: Any leftover brine can be refrigerated and used in the next batch.

Jars have been filled with the "brine" and are ready for the
addition of lids and screw tops. 

5.  Process using the water-bath method: Pints jars: 10 min. @ 0-1,000 ft. / 15 min. @ 1,001-6,000 ft.  / 20 min. above 6,000 ft.. 

Jars are ready to be lowered into the boiling water. Since this recipe makes only 4 pints, I am also processing a  batch of pickle relish at the same time in order the conserve fuel and energy.