Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (33 page)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the spaghetti, and cook to al dente. Heads up: you will need to reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Combine the juice of 2 of the limes with the rice wine vinegar, honey, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the cucumber and one quarter of the red onion, season with salt, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Coarsely chop the mushrooms and place in another bowl. Drizzle the mushrooms with the teriyaki sauce and combine with the scallions, 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, and the grill seasoning. Toss to combine. Spread the mushrooms on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning once. Scrape the mushrooms into a bowl.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. When it's very hot, add the bell peppers, the remaining red onion, the pea pods, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the edamame and heat through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the hoisin, the remaining lime juice, the chili sauce, and the reserved starchy pasta cooking liquid to form a sauce. Add the drained spaghetti and toss over medium-high heat for a minute to coat with the sauce. Turn off the heat and toss in the cilantro and mint. Serve the noodles in bowls with the mushrooms and the cucumber salad as side dishes.

Jaw-Droppingly Delicious Asparagus Penne

I have smuggled contraband over the Canadian border, and I am
not
sorry. If you work the Canadian-U.S. border and you are reading this, turn the page and forget what you've read because the contraband I bring across is necessary for recipes like this to occur. I smuggled over the thinnest asparagus I have ever seen in my life from the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal. I shared my stash with my mom. This is what she made with hers. Not many moms are psyched about kids who grow up to be smugglers. Mine's the exception.

SERVES 4

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Drop the asparagus in for 2 minutes, then remove, drain, and chop into 2-inch pieces. Add the pasta to the water and cook to al dente.

To a skillet placed over medium heat, add the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the garlic and gently cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Whisk in the stock, half-and-half, mustard, and lemon zest. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and tarragon, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Add the lemon juice, and gently toss the asparagus and pasta with the sauce to coat. Turn off the heat and adjust the salt and pepper to taste, then top with grated cheese and serve.

(Uh, yeah, I know. It's really good.)

Austin Mac 'n' Cheese Suizas

This vegetarian mac 'n' cheese tastes just like enchiladas Suizas—a tangy green sauce and pulled chicken dish with Swiss cheese and Mexican crema on top, minus the chicken, of course. Here, the Swiss and Monterey Jack cheese sauce is layered with tangy tomatillo sauce. The mac 'n' cheese is topped with crushed tortillas and spicy pepper Jack cheese.

SERVES 6

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt, add the pasta, and cook to al dente.

Heat the EVOO over medium-high heat in a sauce pot. Place the tomatillos in a food processor and process into coarse salsa. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeños to the pot and cook for 5 minutes; stir in the tomatillos, season with salt and the cumin, and stir in the honey. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.

Preheat the broiler.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the vegetable stock and milk, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes to thicken. Stir in the Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Drain the pasta and toss with the cheese sauce. Place half the mac 'n' cheese in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and top with half the tomatillo salsa. Spoon in the remaining mac 'n' cheese and top with the remaining salsa, the crushed chips, and the pepper Jack cheese. Brown the top under the broiler. Pass the crème frâiche or sour cream at the table.

Here's a meal in minutes that is perfect for the last few rainy, cool nights of spring.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of the EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until they burst. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and turn the oven to broil.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of EVOO in a high-sided skillet or medium soup pot. Add the scallions to the hot pan and wilt for 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the green beans and asparagus, return to a simmer, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until it is wilted. Season the soup with salt and pepper and remove it from the heat. Wilt in the arugula.

Toast the bread under the broiler until crisp on both sides. Rub each slice of toast with ½ clove of garlic. Place a garlic toast in each soup bowl and ladle vegetable soup over the toast. Pass lots of cheese for topping at the table.

SERVES 4

Combine the garlic, lemon juice, and EVOO in a salad bowl. Add the bell peppers, onions, parsley, mint, and pita chips to the bowl and toss. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve.

Take advantage of fresh corn on the cob as many months of the year as you can get it. When fresh corn is nowhere to be found, though, frozen kernels are just fine, Sprout. This zesty soup is a great vegetarian version of a classic chicken tortilla soup.

SERVES 4