Category: Recipes

What’s she up to?

UTV News reports….

Lead found in Michelle Obama’s White House vegetable garden

It was meant to be a show case for healthy living, with the first lady, Michelle Obama, personally putting hand to pitch fork in a crowd of school children to dig up the first White House vegetable garden in more than 50 years
Thursday, 02 July 2009

It was meant to be a show case for healthy living, with the first lady, Michelle Obama, personally putting hand to pitch fork in a crowd of school children to dig up the first White House vegetable garden in more than 50 years.

Instead, an embarrassed White House admitted today that the plot – whose lettuce, herbs and other produce have been consumed by the first family, visiting dignitaries, local school children and a women’s homeless shelter – had tested positive for elevated levels of lead.

A spokeswoman for the White House said the soil in the garden had lead concentrations of 93 parts per million of lead. Health experts say it is safe to raise leafy vegetables in soil with concentrations of 10-50 parts per million, and urban gardens typically have raised lead levels. However, it is advised for young children to be tested for exposure to lead if they play in areas where lead concentrations exceed 100 parts per million. The Environmental Protection Agency puts the threshold for dangerous lead levels at 300 parts per million.

But even though lead levels in the first garden are far below that danger zone, the disclosure is awkward for a White House which has made prominent use of the vegetable garden to define Michelle Obama’s role as First Lady,and to encourage sensible eating habits in children.

Children are especially vulnerable to exposure to lead, which can cause neurological and kidney damage, and stunt their growth.

It doesn’t get much better!

Ingredients:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Medium onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (No Salt Added)
• 1 pound lentils
• 7 oz small noodles
• 11 Cups low-salt chicken broth (or water)

1. Chop the onions, celery, garlic, and carrots.
2. Heat up some olive oil in in a large pot
3. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and simmer for about five minutes.
4. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and let simmer for another five minutes, until the carrots and celery start becoming tender.
5. Add the can of diced tomato and all the juices and mix a bit, letting the whole base mix with the tomatoes for about 7 to 8 more minutes.
6. Add 1 lb of lentils and mix to coat them with the base of the soup.
7. Add the broth or water and stir.
8. Bring to a boil over high heat.
9. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about an hour.  The lentils should be nice and tender by then.
10. Stir in the noodles and let cook for about 8 more minutes (or the recommended cooking time for the noodles).
11. Season with additional salt and pepper consistent with your taste.

If you like you may drizzle with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese!  Serve with some Italian bread and enjoy!  Just the thing for those cold winter nights!

Quick & Easy!

Well, folks now and then ask me for advice on preparing a nice Italian dish without much hassle.  Truth is, a meal isn’t necessarily any better because a cook spent a lot of time on it.  Quite the contrary – my favorite rustic dishes aren’t big productions at all.   But, they satisfy!

So my favorite quick and easy Italian dish is my own special spin on Baked Rigatoni.  Prep time is short and and cooking time is 50-55 minutes.  This recipe will have you enjoying a fine meal in no time!

Baked Rigatoni a la Vincenzo

Ingredients

• 1 lb Rigatoni (I like Barilla, but any brand will do)
• 2 28 oz cans of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan, or about the same amount of Shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Kosher Salt, Pepper, and some crushed Red Peppers.

1. Heat up your oven to 400 degrees.

2. While the oven is warming up, get a nice medium sized baking dish.  Place the 1 lb of uncooked rigatoni into the baking dish, and pour about 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the pasta.  Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

3. After the Rigatoni has absorbed some of the olive oil, open the two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes and pour all over the pasta, covering the rigatoni completely.

4. Sprinkle some pepper and kosher salt on top of the pasta and tomatoes, to taste.

5. Cover the baking dish with some aluminum foil (ok) or parchment paper (much better).  Place into the oven for about 55 minutes.

6. Check on it after 10 minutes and poke around with an oversized fork or spoon.  Repeat every 5-10 minutes or so until you get to the 50 minute mark.

7. At the 50 minute mark, take the tray out of the oven and sprinkle about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (or the shredded mozzarella)  on top of the pasta.  Mix it up just a bit with the oversized fork or spoon, place the foil or parchment back on the coking dish, and cook for another 5 minutes.

8. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.  This is a dish best served hot!  Sprinkle some more cheese to taste, and for those that like a little spark, that’s what the crushed red pepper is for!

Serve with some salad, bread, and red wine!  Enjoy!

A BLT Always Hits The Spot

Care to spruce up the typical BLT? I was inspired to modify my own personal recipe for a classic Bacon-Lettuce-Tomato sandwich after I saw the film Spanglish. While not a particularly memorable film, the film features the main character fixing himself a snazzy BLT, so I tried to recreate it for my dining pleasure!!

The Vinnie Vegas BLT Classic

1. Take two thick slices of fresh bread – I use Italian Bolle. Lightly toast the slices of bread.
2. Cook 4 strips of bacon to your personal taste.
3. Cut 3 slices of a large, fresh tomato.
4. When the bacon is done, take the slices out of the pan and place them on a paper towel to drain.
5. Take one slice of bread and place some Monterrey Jack cheese on one side, and put it back into the toaster oven (or oven) for about another minute to melt the cheese.
6. Spread some mayonnaise on the other slice of bread.
7. Place the bacon on the slice of toast, on top of the mayo.
8. Place the tomato slices on top of the bacon.
9. Take a leaf of Romaine or Butter lettuce and place it on top of the tomato slices.
10. Fry an egg for about 45 seconds, and slide the runny egg on top of the lettuce leaf.
11. Take the slice of toast with the Monterrey Jack cheese and place it on top of the creation, assembling the sandwich.
12. Slice in two, and serve with a pickle, some hot peppers, and some potato chips.

It doesn’t get much better than the Vinnie Vegas BLT! Enjoy!

First Class Burger With Ease!

I decided to share with you folks one of my great contributions to Americana – the secret process of creating The Vinnie Vegas Burger!

The Vinnie Vegas Burger

1. Take about 1/3 lb of Black Angus 85-15 ground beef, and sprinkle in some McCormick Hamburger or Montreal Steak spices. Work it into the beef, and then form into a patty. Sprinkle some more of the spices on the top and bottom of the patty.
2. Cut a whole wheat kaiser roll in half.
3. Place the patty onto the grill and cook to your personal taste. I like medium-well myself, or about 5-6 minutes. About 2 minutes into the grilling, place the halves of the kaiser roll on the grill for about a minute.
4. Take the warm halves of the kaiser roll and spread some 1000 Island Dressing on the bottom bun.
5. Spread some sweet relish on the bottom bun.
6. Place some fresh lettuce on the bottom bun.
7. About 30 seconds before the burger is done, place some swiss cheese on top of the patty.
8. When the burger patty is cooked to your taste, place the patty on the bottom bun, and then spread some ketchup and spicy golden mustard on the top bun, and assemble.
9. The Vinnie Vegas burger is done!

Serve with some steak fries, a pickle, and some small chilli peppers on the side! First class!

OPTIONS

1. Now and then, use an onion kaiser roll for a great, different taste!
2. Consider using provalogne or other cheese that you like to mix things up now and then.
3. Insert either freshly sliced or grilled onions on the bottom layer if you like onions on your burger.
4. Use your imagination – add what you like!

Enjoy!