1997 Carbo Dinner

These are the recipes from past and present Community Carbo Dinners:

• Pepper Two Me (1997)
• West-o-Pesto (1996)
• Carbonara (1992)
• Garlic Bread (butter or olive oil) (1992)
• Meatballs (1996)
• Curried Vegetables (1996)
• Common Tomato Sauce (1993)
• Inside Inside Out Ravioli (1993)
• Vegetarian Baked Ziti (1993)
• Pesto (1992)
• Vegetable Paella (1992)
• Chicken Cacciatori (1992)

Pepper Two Me

1. Take thin slices of pepperoni and quarter them. In a sauce pan, eat 1/3 cup of olive oil and fry the pepperoni until it starts to get crisp.
2. Soak a large new mexican dried chilli in wam water cutting off the top and bottom and removing the seeds. After it is soft cut the skin into small pieces. As the pepperoni starts to get crisp, add the pepper pieces to the oil.
3. When the peppers and pepperoni are crisp, add chopped garlic and saute under mild heat until it starts to brown. Do not let it burn. Have the pasta ready or take off the heat well before the garlic burns and reheat when ready to serve the pasta.
4. Serve on hot pasta adding in salt and pepper to taste.

West-o-Pesto

1. In a food process, puree 3 tbl garlic, 4-8 serrano chillies (depending on taste). This will give off a lot of hot fumes so don't inhale.
2. Puree two bunches cilantro, adding in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup parmesian cheese. Puree should be a smooth paste
3. add in 1/4 cup pine nuts and roughly chop. Serve on hot pasta adding in salt and pepper to taste.

Meat balls

1. In a large bowl, mix 2 lb ground beef, 1 lb Italian sausage with 1 cup finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic, two eggs, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 3 tbl fresh ground fennel seed. Form into small 1 inch diameter balls using a soup spoon to select the mixture and rolling them in your palms. Arrange on a baking sheep.
2. Broil the meat balls til they start to brown, then turn them and brown on other side.
3. In a large pot, saute in 3 tbls olive oil, 1 cup chopped onions. When translucent, add meat balls, 3 cans diced tomatoes, 2 cans store brand tomato sauce, 1/4 cup oregano. Simmer covered for at least two hours, stirring to ensure the sauce does not stick to the bottom. It should be a smooth sauce. Add 1 cup red wine and add water to keep consistency slightly less thick than heavy cream.
4. Serve over spaghetti. This sauce is better if it is made the day before, refrigerated and then reheated to let the flavors blend.

Carbonara

1. Beat 6 eggs with a fork, mix in 1/2 cup cream.
2. Taking two mixing spoons, pour egg mix over 3-4 lbs of hot pasta in a large bowl. Quickly mix with a lifting motion to spread mix through pasta.
3. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesian, 1/2 cup bacon pieces, 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Garlic Bread (butter or olive oil)

Butter spread

Olive Oil spread

Preparation

1. Cut a loaf of italian bread (LaMadelaine's Parisien works well) lengthwise so it folds open but not all the way through, then put it back together and cut crosswise in the same way about 1 inch slices (tip of thumb to first knuckle).
2. Spread the bread open and using a fork for the butter and a brush for the oil, brush it with one of the two mixes.
3. Sprinkle the open bread with oregano, fold it closed and put it in aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 5 minutes in convection, or open and under broiler for about 2 minutes until brown.

Curried Vegetables

1. Cut two washed unpeeled potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Boil in bullion for 8 minutes. Take from bullion and reserve.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbl olive oil, add 2 cups rice, Stir for about 2 minutes until rice is coated and hot. Add 4 cups hot half strength bullion. Bring to boil, then simmer covered for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a moderate skillet, saute 1 large chopped onion in olive oil. When soft, add in 2 tbl chopped garlic, 1 tbl fresh ground ginger. Saute for about 2 minutes.
4. Add in 2 tbl fresh ground coriander seeds, 1 tbl fresh ground cumin seeds 2 fresh ground dried red pepper or 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 tbl tumeric.
5. Add in 1 cup cauliflower flowerettes, 1/2 cup string beans cut in 1 inch lengths, 1/2 cup frozen peas, reserved potato cubes, 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot. 1 cup bullion. Stir to coat vegetables with bullion and spices. Bring to boil and add to rice pan.
6. Add 1 cup 1/2 strength bullion simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add in 1/4 cup raisins. Check rice and cook until rice is barely done.

Common Tomato Sauce

1. In a large sauce pan, sauté 1 Chopped Onion in 1 Tbl. olive oil until soft.
2. Then add 2 Tbl. chopped garlic and sauté briefly.
3. Add 1/2 lb. mushroom chopped into large chunks. Sauté until soft.
4. Add 2 lb. can tomato sauce and 1 lb. chopped canned tomatoes, or use whole canned tomatoes, chopping them roughly.
5. Add 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. oregano, pepper, 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes. Simmer until thick.

Common Pasta

Inside Out Ravioli

1. Brown 1/2 lb. ground beef, drain off most of the fat, add 1 chopped onion and cook until onion is soft. Reserve
2. Cook 1 package chopped frozen spinach. Drain and reserve cooking liquid.
3. Combine 1/2 common tomato sauce, meat mixture, spinach, reserved spinach cooking liquid, cooked ziti, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, two beaten eggs, and 1 cup shredded sharp cheese in mixing bowl.
4. Spread into 13 X 9 disposable lasagna pan and top with remainder of common tomato sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Vegetarian Baked Ziti

1. In a large sauce pan, like a Dutch oven, sauté 2 green peppers seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch squares in olive oil. Remove from sauce pan and add common sauce. Add 1 package frozen corn and 1 package frozen chopped spinach. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Turn off heat and add the ziti, 1 8 oz container ricotta cheese, green peppers and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Mix well.
3. Spread into 13 X 9 disposable lasagna pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Pesto

1. Beat three eggs with a fork, mix in 1/2 cup parmesian cheese, mix in 5 tablespoons of Pesto mix, add olive oil until consistency of cottage cheese.
2. Taking two mixing spoons, pour mix over 3-4 lbs of hot pasta in a large bowl. Mix with a lifting motion to spread mix over pasta. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesian

Vegetable Paella

1. Peel and cut carrots into 1/8 inch rounds. Cut Zuchini into 1/4 inch rounds, if wider than half dollar cut cross. Cut potato into 1/4 inch julienne slices Cross cut olives to form thin slices with red centers Slice pimento and green pepper into thin strips for garnish. Chunk cut tomatoes
2. Prepare 1/2 strength chicken boullion. Add saffron.
3. Rough cut onions and saute in small amount of olive oil til soft.
4. Add garlic and hot peppers, and saute until garlic is lightly browned. remove and reserve
5. Add more oil and brown zuchinni quickly on each side then remove and reserve.
6. Pour enough stock into frying pan to loosen all fragments from browning then put into Paella pan. Add onion/garlic mixture, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and stock. Bring to boil and add rice.
7. Cover and simmer over very low heat or bake covered for 15 minutes.
8. Spice with pepper, salt to taste but bullion provides some salt.
9. Add chick peas, stir gently to make sure rice is cooking evenly and not sticking but try to keep vegetables evenly spread. When rice is almost done, arrange zuchinni, olives, green pepper, and pimento slices on top. Cook for 3 more minutes. Taste rice to ensure it is done.
10. Take off heat and let sit for 5 minutes covered.

Couscous

Couscous can be found in packages in local groceries or in bulk in stores like Whole Foods. You make it by making a broth and then adding the couscous to the hot (boiling) broth. 1 part couscous to 1˝ parts broth.

Take the mix off the heat, cover it and let it sit for 5 minutes, then with a fork, fluff the couscous to lighten it and serve it on a mound.

The broth can be varied, following is one variation, assuming about 2 cups of dry couscous is to be used.

1. Start the broth liquid with about 2 times the volume of couscous to allow for evaporation during the cooking.
2. Cut into short (1 inch) small (1/4 inch) julienne slices:
   • 2 carrots
   • 1 medium potato
   • 1 medium turnip
3. Dice 1 large or two small onions.
4. Slice a tomato into very thin slices. (You may want to remove the skin but this is just aesthetics.).
5. Boil 4 cups of water in a 2 quart plus pot. Add 2 bullion cubes, the onion, potato, turnip, tomato slices, 1 can chick peas, and 2 tbl olive oil.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add a large pinch of cayenne, 1/4 tsp ground pepper, and the cut up carrot. Simmer for 1 minute
7. Add the couscous to the broth. Cover and remove from heat. After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork to loosen clumps. The couscous is pasta and tends to be a touch bland so you may want to sprinkle on top 10 small green olives stuffed with pimento cut crossways into two to three slices each.

Chicken Cacciatori

1. Cut a clean chicken into two halfs.
2. In a large pot, sauté 2 Chopped Onion in 3 Tbl. olive oil until soft. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic.
3. Add 3 lb. of whole canned tomatos and 2 lb. chopped canned tomatoes. You can use fresh tomatoes if they are cheap enough. Add cut up chicken.
4. Season with 2 tbl oregano, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and skim off froth from chicken.
5. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes until chicken is very done but not falling apart. Take chicken out of the pot and put on a dish to cool.
6. While the chicken is simmering, cut of a lot of vegetables. In general you want the vegetables cut into large chunks. (Hunter's !). For 1 chicken, I would use about
   • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices.
   • 6 stalks celery, cross cut into 1/2 inch slices
   • 3 turnips peeled and cut into chunks the size of the last joint on your thumb.
   • 4 zucchini, cross cut into slices as thick as your little finger.
   • 1 large bunch parsley chopped into large pieces.
   Okra is an option but I have not tried it.
7. When the chicken is well cooked but not falling off the bone, take it out and put it on a plate to cool. When you take the chicken out, add in the carrots celery and turnips. Simmer for about 30 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough take the meat off the bone cut it into chunks and put back in the sauce.
8. Simmer for 30 more minutes adding water if the sauce gets too thick. Add the zucchini and parsley.
9. Simmer for 10 minutes, add salt to taste.