Let's play catch up

Alrighty, I know. I had hoped in the ideal world that is my mind to have posted each week's recipe that actual week. Well, here we are at almost the middle of October, and I'm a bit behind. I apologize, dear loyal readers and foodies.

Allow me to press rewind. My last recipe for September was indeed the blueberry pound cake on the cover of my Cooking Light book. I kid you not, I am downright scared of really baking. I find much more rest in letting various boxes dictate the science of dry ingredients. Leave me to the measuring and you find downright craziness. I think this is why I don't teach math. Anyhoo, I did not have a tube pan, so I improvised with my trusty bundt pan. That might have been my downfall. Well, here's what I think would reverse that downfall: the recipe asks you to bake the cake for an hour, and I think I should have baked it another 5-8 minutes. Another issue: the lemon glaze needs a bit more powdered sugar for a thicker consistency. What happened is my cake just soaked it all up. It was super yummy, but super moist, much moister than normal expectations of a pound cake. Nevertheless, the taste was good, so I consider that victory. Take a gander:
Onward, ho! So the source of all my October recipes lies in the hands of that Food Network and talk show host diva, Rachael Ray. My hope is that with all the media exposure of Ms. Ray and her lingo, I won't need to tell you what "evoo" means. Well, I decided to pull out her first book, the original 30 Minute Meals. I flipped through and marked many a recipe, and here's what I made this past week:

White Bean Dip with Garlic Toasts

Toasts:
2 baguettes, sliced at the bakery counter in market
1/2 cup evoo
2 cloves of garlic, popped from skin

Dip:
2 cans (15 oz each) white cannellini beans, drained
1/3 cup evoo
2 cloves of garlic, popped from skin
Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stem

Heat oven to 325. Placed sliced baguettes on cookie sheets in a single layer. Toast for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Heat oil and garlic in an ovensafe dish in microwave for 45 seconds on high. Brush toasts with a dab of garlic oil and place in a basket to serve alongside dip. (time saver: buy a package of the Fresh Market's French Rounds...they have garlic ones as well as plain). Place beans in food processor. Heat 1/3 cup oil and garlic in microwave on high for 45 seconds. Add oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary to beans. Process dip until smooth and transfer to a serving dish.

This dip is a great one because it rests on staples in your pantry. I would recommend adding the salt after processing so you can really season it "to taste." Without a doubt, I'll make this one again.

In an effort to ward off the swine flu and all the other germs my precious students bring into my classroom, I also made Pasta e Fagioli. Ray has a variety of soups with this title, so I wanted to be sure you got the one I actually made. The only change I made was adding about a cup of shredded rotisserie chicken. I served it with rosemary foccacia from Trader Joe's (Ashley, I will make yours one day), and after it started drying out, I cut the remaining bread into cubes, tossed in olive oil, and baked at 375. Result: killer croutons that perfectly sit atop the soup. Seriously yum-o.

Pasta e Fagioli

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps evoo
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium, yellow-skinned onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, from the heart (tender pieces), chopped
2 stems fresh rosemary, left whole
Several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems and chopped, about 2-3 tbsps
Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
3 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans
1 cup ditalini noodles
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese

Heat garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a deep pot. Add vegetables, rosemary stems, chopped thyme, and a little salt and black pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add beans and ditalini. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, until noodles are al dente. Serve immediately with a generous amount of cheese and crusty bread.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take picture of these. I did freeze some of the soup, so whenever I thaw that out, I'll try to remember.

I'm making at least two recipes this week, one that is not from the book, but is "vintage" in that it's from the October 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. When I was perusing the magazine, I couldn't help but be inspired by the season, so I resolved to make Pumpkin Cream Pasta. I'll be serving it to my small group tomorrow night. They are quite kind to taste my concoctions each week. Check three of them out below, enjoying the aforementioned pound cake. That's excitement, folks.