Ravioli with Spinach, Pancetta & Sage

Lynne made this tonight, and it was really good!  Took about 15 minutes total.  She got the recipe off the Birds Eye vegetable website - we used ham instead of pancetta, fresh sage from the garden, and BAM, quick, simple awesome weeknight dinner!.

INGREDIENTS

·         1/2 cup diced pancetta*

·         2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         1 box (10 oz) Birds Eye® Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

·         1 pound cheese ravioli, cooked according to package directions

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

·         Grated Pecorino Romano

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Cook pancetta and garlic in olive oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat until pancetta is crisp.

2.     Add spinach; season with salt and pepper and cook until the spinach is cooked through, about 4 minutes.

3.     Add ravioli and sage; cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.

4.     Serve with Pecorino Romano.

KITCHEN TIPS

Bacon can be substituted for the pancetta

Asparagus and Potato Egg Bake

Lynne made this for my Mother In law's birthday brunch.  It came from the May, 2007 Oprah Magazine recipe... and was really, REALLY good.  Lynne, as a rule, does not change anything in the recipe's that catch her eye - unlike me, who simply can't help myself from adding SOMETHING...lol  - makes for interesting conversation when we are cooking together!  So this is straight from the magazine.  Simple, yet great tasting, this dish was the hit of the day!  It was also AWESOME reheated for lunch the next day ( with a little hot sauce added..... lol, sorry honey!)

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus or minus
1 lb Asparagus spears - try to get the really thin ones, woody ends snapped off.
1 small white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt,
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 cups shredded plain frozen hash-browns ( about 1 bag)
2 cups shredded FRESH Parmesan cheese ( about 8 ounces)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 1.5 qt souffle  or baking dish with olive oil, set aside.  Cut off top 3 inches of Asparagus spears, set aside tips.  Cut remaining bases into 1" pieces and set aside

2) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, and garlic, and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add Asparagus base pieces, increase heat to med high and cook till warmed through, and bright green, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Stir in potatoes, cheese, and reserved onion mixture.  Transfer to prepared dish and arrange Asparagus tips over top in neat pattern.

4) Bake until firm and light golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!  This is a really nice brunch dish, or just an interesting breakfast dish for a lazy Sunday morning!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Pumpkin Yumminess!

Meant to make this for the holiday, but clearly never got around to it.  This recipe is AMAZING and really simple.  I HIGHLY recommend adding the brandy - it gives the flavor a nice depth.  Use a scoop of this over hot apple pie, and you will think you died and went to heaven.....

There is the recipe.  Again, you need an ice cream maker - I have a Cuisinart, that retails for about $50 bucks - and is WELL worth it!

Ingredients: 

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
5 egg yolks
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin filling
1 tbs brandy or cognac....optional, but recommended

Instructions:

1. In a 3 qt sauce pan, combine the half and half, cream and brown sugar.  Cook over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar, for about 4 minutes, until mixture is warm, steaming and bubbles form around the edge.  Do NOT boil.  Remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, pumpkin pie spice and salt together until smooth.  Whisk about 2/3 cup of the hot cream mixture SLOWLY into the egg mixture, until smooth.  Poor egg mixture back into hot cream mixture.  Add vanilla, pumpkin mixture and brandy.   Heat gently, whisking often till smoothly blended over med heat until warm and steaming, and the mixture coats a spoon - again, do NOT boil or simmer.  This only takes a couple of minutes.
3. Pour mixture into separate bowl, and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate for at LEAST 3 hours, preferably overnight,  till chilled.  Alternately, put the bowl in the freezer, whisking often to stir and cool, and it will be ready to churn in about an hour. The mixture should be cool to cold. 
4. Pour the mixture into the frozen bowl of the ice cream maker, and churn until the proper ice cream texture.  Pack into a freezer safe container, and enjoy!!!

Creamy Turkey and Rice Soup with Goat Cheese

I made this soup with home made turkey stock that I made from the carcass of my bird for Thanksgiving – recipe is on a prior post – and the leftover meat.  This was REALLY tasty, and very quick to make.  I started with  a recipe from a magazine, but I added so much stuff to it that it really does'nt even resemble the original.  I used Brown Rice, but Wild Rice would actually be best.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

3 carrots, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cups chicken or turkey broth

2 1/2 cups cooked brown or wild rice cooked to package instructions.  I cooked the rice in home made turkey broth, not water

½ cup crumbled Goat Cheese

2 cups half and half

2+ cups cubed cooked turkey

½ cup flour

½ tsp dried tarragon

½ tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp basil

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1)      In a large Dutch Oven, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add carrots, celery, and onion, cook, stirring frequently, till tender.  About 8 minutes or so.  Don’t let the butter burn.

2)      Stir in flour in small increments till blended, cook till bubbly.  Gradually whisk in broth, keeping mixture smooth.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook for 1 – 2 minutes till thickened.

3)      Stir in remaining ingredients, reduce heat, and LOW simmer for about 20 minutes… do NOT boil, just keep barely simmering.

Home Made Turkey Soup

From this.....

To this!  Yumm!

Made some home made Turkey Soup last night, from broth I made the night before.  The broth was totally killer.  I used a pre packaged Bouquet Garnis from Spice Hunter, but it basically was the spices below.  Very simple, and a great way to take advantage of Thanksgiving leftovers - you can even add some stuffing to the soup to thicken it up!  Freeze in individual portions in zip lock bags

1 leftover Turkey Carcass – picked for usable meat.
10 to 12 cups cold water – enough to cover the carcass 
2 carrots, sliced thick 
1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tbs celery leaves, rough chopped 
1 large onion, cut into chunks 
2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed

½ tsp peppercorns

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 bay leaf

Add all ingredients to a large stock pot, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a very low simmer, and simmer for 3 hours, occasionally skimming any fat from the surface.  Strain solids out of broth.  At this point, the broth can be made directly into soup,  by adding fresh carrots, celery, onion, the turkey meat and about ½ bag of egg noodles – cook for another half hour or so – or the broth can be refrigerated or frozen.

Sweet Potato and Apple Soup, with Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnuts

Sweet Potato and Apple Soup, with Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnuts

I made this today – from an adapted Real Simple recipe – totally awesome!  The sweet from the apple offsets the stout potatoes, and the Gorgonzola and toasted nuts add just the right amount of salt and savory.  Really a spectacularly easy soup to make, and amazingly good!

Ingredients:

3 tbs light olive oil

1 medium onion, rough chopped

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

3 sweet potatoes, cut into ½ inches pieces

2.5 apples, peeled, cored, and diced ( ½ apple reserved for garnish slices)

2 cups vegetable broth

½ tsp ground nutmeg ( to taste)

½ tsp cinnamon ( to taste)

½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted in a sauté pan over  med high heat till dark brown

1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese for garnish

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 5qt sauce pan or Dutch Oven.  Add salt, pepper and onion, and sauté over med high heat until starting to brown – about 8 minutes

Add potatoes, apples, broth, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 1 ½ cups water.  Stir, and bring to a boil.   Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth.  You can also run through a blender or food processor in small batches to puree,  but be VERY careful with the lid – hot liquids will expand VERY quickly and make a very painful mess!)

Top with toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola crumbles, and serve.

Pumpkin Custards with Ginger and Cinnamon

I made these for a cooking class at work this week - They were incredibly tasty, and super easy!  Highly recommended as a holiday desert this season!

1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree

2/3 teaspoon ground ginger2/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Set eight 6-ounce custard cups in two 8-inch square pans. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 325 degrees.

Heat pumpkin, ginger, and cinnamon in a 3 - 4qt saucepan over medium heat until puree sputters and flavors intensify, about 3 minutes. Whisk in brown sugar,  evaporated milk and cream. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.

Meanwhile, whisk egg and yolks in a medium bowl.

Gradually whisk hot-pumpkin mixture into the eggs, then pour into custard cups. Set pans in oven and carefully pour enough hot water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups.

Bake until the custards are set, about 30 - 40 minutes. Remove custard cups from the baking dish with tongs,  and cool slightly. Lay plastic wrap directly over each custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until ready to serve.

I topped these with home made ice cream that was semi soft...... yumm

makes 8 custards

HOT AND SPICY ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH BROWN RICE AND BLACK BEANS

This recipe comes from one of the women who works with me at the store - she is ALWAYS trying to get me to eat - and cook healthier!  I haven't tried this, but it looks yummy, and is very simple to make!  Thanks Jodi!

Cut Acorn Squash in half, remove seeds & rub with a little bit of olive oil and salt. Depending on the size of the squash will serve 2-4.

Bake it empty but covered with tin foil. Also, put a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan.  Cook at 350 for between 45 minutes to an hour or until soft. 

In a pot or small Dutch oven using about 1 T grape seed or olive or canola oil SAUTE:

half an onion diced                           1-2 gloves garlic

some green pepper                           1-2 T mixed ground cumin/fennel/coriander seeds

1T garam masala (note different brands have different ingredients & amount – mine is Deep brand and has lots of chili powder, if yours does not add chili powder)

Cook until onion is wilted & seasonings are fragrant

MIX Into the pot:

1 cup cooked Brown Basmati rice   2 cups cooked black beans

1/2 cup cooked lentils                      salt/pepper/chili powder to taste

Adjust the other seasonings as well and heat through.

 
Stuff the squash & bake uncovered at 400 for about 10 minutes.

Serve plain, or as pictured above with onion and diced tomato heated through with a bit of Italian seasonings.

Recipe by: Jodi Higgins

October 18, 2012

Indian Style Pork Chops, Pressurized!

This is a combination of a couple of recipe’s I found on line.  I kind of winged it with the seasoning, but it really came out quite well.  I only marinated the pork for an hour or so -  it definitely would have benefited from more time – over night would have been even better!    I served this with oven roasted carrots that I coated in oil, and lightly seasoned with a ¼ tsp each of curry and garlic powder, and Gram Marsala.  I served it over a garlic Cous-Cous.  It was really quite good!  The dish can be made in a traditional dutch oven as well – just simmer for about an hour till the sauce blends, and the pork is tender.

Ingredients for marinating pork:

1. Rice vinegar  3 tbsp 
2. Sugar  1 tsp
3. Salt  1 tsp 
4. Fresh ground pepper, ½ tsp
5. Mix ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour in a zip lock bag, add pork, mix well, and refrigerate for a couple of hours – or overnight.

Gravy Ingredients:

6. 4 Medium pork loin chops, no bone
7. 1 ¼ cups water
8. 1 Medium onion, cut in half, and sliced thinly
9. 1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid
10. 2 tsp Garam Marsala seasoning
11. 1 tsp chili powder
12.  2 tbs flour, whisked with 2 tbs water to thicken gravy

Directions:

Mix all gravy ingredients except flour thickener and the 1 ¼ cups water in a medium bowl, and let sit for about an hour to meld the flavors.

When ready, heat a tbsp of oil in the pressure cooker, and sear the chops until browned.  Deglaze the pan with the water, scraping up the brown bits. Add gravy ingredients, browned pork.  Close the lid and bring up to full pressure on high heat.  Lower heat to low, and maintain pressure for 10 minutes.  Release pressure, and open the lid.  Continue to simmer gravy for 5 – 10 minutes, adding the flour/water mixture to thicken as needed.
Keep stirring until the gravy thickens slightly, then serve.

For the carrots, in a medium mixing bowl, combine 4 – 5 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces and quartered, with 1 tbs olive oil, ¼ tsp each of curry, garlic and garam marsala powders.  Roast at 400 degrees on a flat cookie sheet until crispy – about 20 minutes.

I simply used a box mix of Cous Cous, and prepared according to instructions.

Serve the carrots, pork and gravy over the Cous Cous, and enjoy!

Horseradish Glazed Pot Roast in Half an Hour!

Made this last night in my new pressure cooker – got to love that thing!  What would have taken a couple of hours, only took  25 minutes – I really love my new Fissler!  The horseradish really gives a great flavor to both the meat and the vegetables in this dish.  How else can you get pot roast in less than half an hour, start to finish?  The dish tasted MUCH better than this pic came out!  LOL

Ingredients:

1 small bottom round roast

6 – 8 carrots, peeled, and cut into large (1/2 inch) chunks

2 onions, rough chopped ( one reserved)

6-8 medium sized red potatoes, washed, and cut into large chunks (4-6 pieces per potato)

4 cloves garlic smashed

½ cup water

1/3 cup red wine

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 shakes Tabasco Sauce

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tbs ground horse radish

4 tbs flour, 2 reserved

2 tbs light olive oil

Directions:

1.       Heat olive oil over med high heat in cooker.  While oil is heating, coat roast on all sides with 2 tbs flour .  Sear roast in hot oil, till brown on all sides – about 4 or 5 minutes

2.       Remove pan from heat, and remove roast to separate plate.

3.       Coat roast all over with horseradish

4.       Place pan back on burner, place roast, 1 onion, garlic, water, wine, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and Tabasco in pan.  Attach cover, and turn heat up to high, until pan pressurizes to high.  Turn heat to low, and maintain pressure.

5.       After 18 minutes, remove pan from heat, and run under cold water to depressurize.  Open pan, add potatoes, onion, and carrots to pan.  Recover, turn heat back to high and re-pressurize.  Turn heat to low, and cook another 10 minutes.

6.       Depressurize pan again, and remove lid.  Mix remaining 2 tbs flour with 2 tbs water until it is a paste.  Mix into sauce to thicken into a gravy. 

7.       Serve and enjoy!! 

Guinness Braised Chicken Thighs - Under Pressure!

Yummy Comfort Food in 18 minutes!

Made these last night in my new pressure cooker – got to love that thing!  What would have taken an hour, only took 18 minutes – serve it over risotto, (which can be made in 9 minutes in this pan) and wow!  What a great comfort food meal!  I have to say, I LOVE the pressure cooker.  It is nothing like the one your grandmother used to have, that rattled and clanked on the stove.  Very quiet, very quick, and it even has a glass lid, so you can use it like a sauté pan stove top!  This recipe can also be done in a traditional Dutch Oven, bake it at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

For the Rub:

1 tbs brown sugar

½ tbs chili powder

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp smoked paprika

For the Chicken:

4 skin on thighs

2 tbs light olive oil or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, cut into about 8 pieces

2 stalks celery sliced

4 carrots, cut into 4 pieces each

1 12 oz bottle Guinness or any other brown ale

½ cup chicken broth

4 cloves of garlic, smashed

Handful coarsely chopped celery leaves

1 Tsp thyme

Directions:

1.       Rinse and pat dry the thighs.  Combine dry rub ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well with a fork or whisk.  Rub on thighs, covering all sides, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Browning the Thighs

2.       In the pressure cooker, or Dutch Oven if you are going the slow…… conventional route..lol, add oil, and brown thighs over med-high heat.  Drain fat, add garlic cloves and sauté until soft – about 2 minutes

3.       If you are going the conventional route, add onions and carrots in about 2 tbs of the fat, until slightly soft – about 5 minutes

4.       Add chicken back to the pot, and add the beer, broth,  thyme.  If using a pressure cooker, add carrots and onions now as well.  Lock cover, and bring up to pressure.  Run at high pressure for 18 minutes.  Run pan under cold water to de pressurize, and open. 

5.       In conventional pan, bake in preheated oven at 350 for about 40 - 50 minutes, or until chicken is falling off the bone.

Now we are cooking.... with Pressure!

6.       If desired, the sauce can be thickened with a roux – 2 tbs of butter, melted, and 2 or 3 tbs of flour mixed in and whisked until smooth.

7.       Serve over risotto, regular rice, or egg noodles  Serves 2

Gnocchi with parmesean and roasted vegetables

Behold, another "what can I throw in a pan?" dish!  As you may have gathered, Jereme is a pasta fiend.  He came home with ridiculously delicious and ridiculously expensive gnocchi, a type of pasta I'm not that familiar with cooking.  I had onions, home-grown cherry tomatoes and zucchini kicking around, though I think this dish would work just as beautifully with fall-friendly butternut squash or pumpkin.... I'll try that and post later.  This meal has the consistency of macaroni and cheese, and is just as satisfying (trust me, I'm obsessed with mac and cheese), without the guilt-inducing calories and fat.  Toasted bread crumbs add a nice finishing crunch.

Bear with me, as I'm still learning to measure exactly when I'm making potentially "blog-worthy" dishes.

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 zucchini, sliced (not quite thin)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced and turned into a paste
1 package gnocchi (I recommend against going frozen, but if you must choose a higher quality gnocchi... the taste difference is absolutely worth the price difference.  Cheap frozen gnocchi is mealy and flavorless.)
1/2 cup parmesean (or to taste)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a cutting board, mash garlic glove with a pinch of salt until a paste consistency is reached. In a large bowl, toss garlic paste with enough olive oil to thinly coat veggies (and of course, the veggies).  Add rosemary, oregano, and pepper flakes.

2.  Spread veggies on baking sheet (don't use non-stick), and roast until beginning to blacken, about 15 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, bring water for gnocchi to a boil.  Gnocchi cooks very quickly, 2-3 minutes for fresh and about 5 minutes for frozen.  When it's done, it will float to the surface.  Be very careful not to overcook.... nothing is nastier than overcooked, mushy, mealy gnocchi.  When gnocchi has just reached al dente, drain.

4.  In a large skillet, toast breadcrumbs over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add veggies (and any remaining oil, add a teaspoon more if necessary) and gnocchi, then parmesean cheese.  Heat over medium-low heat until heated through and cheese is melted.  Finally, sprinkle bread crumbs on top, and serve.

Enjoy!
-T

9 Minute Risotto..... Talk About Pressure!!

9 Minute Risotto, NO STIRRING!!

I have always treated pressure cookers with a bit of skepticism... an image of a mad scientist hovering over a   stove in a laboratory.... pans and beakers bubbling.... steam escaping with a whistle.... all kinds of clanking and banging....  Ok, maybe that is a bit over the top, but you get the picture.

One of my product reps came to the store to demo the Fissler Pressure cooker.  Made in Germany, lifetime warrantee - really a solid piece of equipment.  She was going to make pulled pork in 20 minutes.  Right.  So, of course I had to REALLY test the product.  I threw a 2 pound butt roast in a Le Creuset cast iron pot in my oven at 290 about 3 hours before the meeting.  ( a little higher temp than I usually use, but was trying to keep the time down to 1.5 hours per lb.)  Came out falling apart, totally moist and delicious.

Frances, my rep, pulled out a Pork LOIN roast - a VERY lean cut of pork, and definitly NOT optimum for pulled pork.  She did a simple dry rub, browned the meat in the cooker, added a whole onion, cut in half, and some beef broth, and closed the lid.  After about 2 minutes, the cooker was up to pressure, and she turned it down to low.  20 minutes later, we vented the steam, opened it up, and wow!  Totally tender pork that easily pulled apart with a fork.  Added some bbq sauce, and it was just as tender and tasty as my 3 hour slow cooked pork. I was completely amazed.

She proceeded to tell me you could do risotto in 9 minutes in the cooker......  Well, if you have read my other posts, you know I am a purist when it comes to risotto - 25 minutes of stirring - no breaks -  for perfect risotto every time.  Well, needless to say, had to try it and see.  There was NO WAY it could be as good as the traditional method....... right?

I used the Savory Risotto with Asparagus recipe that is in the book that comes with the pan - with one minor alteration ( qty of broth  - for some odd reason, it called for 2 cans broth, but didn't specify size of can).  Followed the instructions, covered the pot, brought it up to temp, and cooked for 9 minutes.  Vented the top, opened her up, and ............. wow.  It was a little like normal rice for a minute as far as it wasn't as creamy as regular risotto, but after stirring it for a bit, it thickened right up.  Tasted fantastic..... and NO STIRRING!!!!

I am a complete convert to pressure cooking when you are in a hurry.  Mind you, half the fun of cooking for me is the actual cooking.... stirring, chopping, simmering, smelling... but when you want beef stew in 9 minutes, or a bean soup, un-soaked, in 15 minutes?????  Pressure Cooker is the way to go!

Here is the recipe:

Savory Risotto with Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb bulk Italian Sausage
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup asparagus tips, cut into 1" pieces. ( Blanch briefly before using )
• 3 cups chicken broth
• salt, pepper, and about 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ( to taste)
• 1/3 cup fresh ground Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Add sausage, garlic and onion to the pan.  Saute  over med high heat until onion is translucent.
• Stir in mushrooms and spices.  Add wind and cook another few minutes.
• Add rice and 3 cups broth.  Turn burner on high.  Stir until broth begins to steam, but not simmer.
• Close and lock the lid in place.  Heat on high until pressure builds and the indicator rod shows 2 rings
• Turn down the heat to low, and cook for 9 minutes
• Turn off the heat, and release the pressure by pressing the button on the handle, or by running the pot under cold water for a few seconds.  Once all pressure is released, open the lid
• Stir the risotto for a few minutes to break down the starches.  Add more broth if needed
• If broth is added, wait until it is back up to temperature, then stir in asparagus
• Top with Parmesan Cheese, and serve.

I cooked this in a Fissler, 4.2 qt pressure skillet, which can be used both as a stove top saute pan or pressure pan.  It comes with a pressure lid, glass lid and steamer basket, and retails for about $280 - and worth every penny!

Dan’s Margherita Pizza with Crunchy Prosciutto

Finished Pizza - YUM!

Made this last night  - we have been on a home made pizza kick lately!   I twisted the classic recipe a bit with the Prosciutto – to me, pizza isn’t pizza without some form of meat on it!  I made a quick fresh sauce for the base of the pizza by grating a whole tomato on a box grater until just the skin was left, and then straining out some of the liquid.  I added salt, garlic, fresh ground pepper and basil and let it sit for a bit before putting it on the crust.  I used a whole wheat crust ( at my wife’s request), but would recommend regular, since the flavors of this pizza are very subtle, and the wheat crust was a little much for it.  Once again, let me say how much I LOVE my Emile Henry BBQ Stone – you can just build the pizza right on the cold stone, without pre heating it.  Comes out nice and crisp every time.

Add Sauce Base

Well, here are the ingredients:

Base Sauce:

1 large, or 2 small tomato’s, grated on a box grater, down to the skin.  Strain out most of the excess liquid.  Add the following ingredients – these measurements are to taste, so feel free to alter them.  Then let sit for about ½ hour to let the flavors blend.

1 tsp Kosher Salt

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp Oregano

1 tsp dried basil

Pinch fresh ground pepper

Cover With Tomatoes

For the Pizza:

1 pkg Prosciutto, crisped in a small fry pan, and rough chopped when cool

2 – 3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced thin

1 large log of Fresh Mozzarella

3 cloves of garlic, sliced very thin, and rough chopped

10 – 12 large Basil leaves, rolled up like a cigar, then sliced across thinly to make curly strips ( called a Chiffonade cut, a great way to decoratively cut herbs)

3 tbs flour or corn meal

Directions:

Flour a flat surface, and roll out the crust to about a 12” round using flour as needed.  Brush the bottom with olive oil, and pre heat pizza stone ( unless you are using the EH one that I have) as directed. 

Ready for the Grill!

 While stone is heating, spread base sauce thinly over crust.  Cover with thinly sliced tomatoes.  Cover tomatoes with sliced garlic, basil and Prosciutto crisps. I would add a good pinch of Kosher salt over the whole thing at this point to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.  Cover whole crust with fresh Mozzarella slices.

Transfer pizza to hot stone with a peel, and cook at 400 for about 10 – 12 minutes, or until crust crisps and cheese starts to bubble. 

Serve with a nice light red or Pinot Grigio, and enjoy!

Grilled Pineapple and Pancetta Pizza with Queso Fresco and Caramelized Onions

I made this pizza on the grill without a pizza stone.  I normally use an amazing new stone from Emile Henry, upon which you can build the pizza directly, and put it right in the oven or grill, without pre heating.  The crust comes out nice and crunchy without the transfer of the dough to the stone – MUCH easier!    Anyway, the pizza was fabulous – and pretty easy to make.  Pre grill the pineapple, pancetta and scallions, so once the crust starts, it goes quickly.  I have a 4 burner grill, so the indirect heating method works pretty well on it.  Just keep the outside two burners on high, and place the crust in the middle.  I cheated a little and kept the middle two on low to speed the process a bit…. It really depends on the grill you are using.  So anyway, here is the process:

Ingredients:

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into ½ inch ring slices ( you will be using 5 or 6 slices)

½ lb pancetta, cut thick ( about 5 slices)

2 Vidalia onions sliced thin

2tbs olive oil

2 tbs butter

½  10 oz package Queso Fresco, crumbled

6 scallions, root ends cut off, grilled, then rough chopped into about 1 inch pieces

1 ball fresh pizza dough

2 tbs flour

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:

In medium fry pan, place slices of pancetta so they do not overlap.  Cook until just becoming crispy, about 3 minutes per side, then set aside.   Drain most of the grease.  In the same pan, melt butter, add olive oil , then add onions, and sauté until golden brown – about 5 – 7 minutes.  Set onions aside.

Brush pineapple slices with butter, and scallions with olive oil.  Grill until pineapple has nice grill marks, and scallions begin to blacken – about 5 or 6 minutes or so.  Set aside.

Pre heat grill to 400 degrees, the shut down middle two burners.  If a 3 burner grill, shut down 2 of the three burners.

Spread flour over rimless cookie sheet or cutting board.  Roll out dough until it is a fairly even 14 inch circle or so.  Place on grill, and close cover.  Grill covered for about  5- 7 minutes, depending on your grill, or until bottom of crust begins to crisp.  Transfer crust to rimless cookie sheet.

Spread caramelized onions over entire pizza.  Crumble Queso Fresco cheese over onions.  Place the pineapple slices evenly around the pizza, and top each with a slice of pancetta.  Top everything with the grilled scallions – roughly chopped, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Return pizza to grill, and grill until crust edges are crisp – about 20 minutes or so, again depending on the grill you are using. 

Cut pizza into slices so each slice has a piece of pineapple….. and enjoy!

Yummy Coconut Ice Cream

Ok, so I bought my wife an ice cream maker ( Cuisinart, about $49 bucks) for Christmas, and we just started using it..... LOVE IT!!!  OMG, it is so simple to make awesome ice cream.  We have made Sweet Corn and Blackberry, Mexican Chocolate and more!  I will post those recipe's shortly, but here is a simple one for Coconut Ice Cream  that I made last night - just the right amount of sweet, with natural coconut taste - serve it with Chocolate Sauce, and you will be in heaven!  I mix my ingredients in my stand mixer with the whisk attachment - does a great job!


1 cup whole milk
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1/4 cup sugar

Blend all ingredients with a hand mixer or stand mixer until well blended. Pour into ice cream maker, and freeze until thickened. Put in an air tight container in the freezer until hard.
Enjoy with a little chocolate syrup......mmmmmm

Linguine with spicy red clam sauce

So Jereme and I were discussing my "blog-worthy" recipes, and it turns out most of them are Italian dishes.  Go figure.  We moved to Cape Cod about a month ago and while quality beef is lacking here, there is an abundance of incredibly fresh seafood. He asked me to make him linguine with clam sauce, which turned into "how to use random stuff in your fridge".  Very easy, company-quality, and ready in 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Linguine with spicy red clam sauce
1 package fresh linguine (we used Bertoli)
1 lb fresh littleneck clams, in shell
1/2 large red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 pickled hot cherry peppers, chopped
4-5 tomatoes on the vine, chopped with juices saved
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ( to taste - a little goes a long way!)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano

Cook pasta according to directions

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add red peppers and cook until soft and beginning to blacken,  about 3 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and cook until tender and shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, wine, lemon juice, pepper flakes, hot peppers, rosemary, and oregano; simmer on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.  Add clams and cover; steam until clams open over low heat, about 5 minutes.  Discard any unopened clams, stir in parsley and serve over pasta.  Serve with Italian bread, and enjoy!

Alabama Style White Barbeque Sauce with Fresh Rosemary

If you have never tried a “white” BBQ sauce, you haven’t lived yet!  Leave it to the South to mix mayo and vinegar, and cook with it!  This sauce was AMAZING on chicken – and on the leftover pork loin we had the next day.  Simply scrumptious – and simple too!   I originally served it over grilled chicken breasts that I pounded out a bit to thin them down, and simply seasoned with Salt and Pepper.  I brushed some of the sauce on for the last 5 minutes of cooking or so – it will curdle if you put it on from the start….. and I used the rest for a dipping sauce.

 No pics – but hey, it’s a SAUCE for goodness sakes!

Ingredients:

2 cups Mayo

1 cup Cider Vinegar

2 TBS Lemon Juice

3 TBS fresh ground pepper (sorry about that – your arm will be sore…)

½ TSP Salt

½ TSP Cayenne

2 TSP finely minced FRESH Rosemary – more or less to taste.

I clove garlic, finely minced

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk thoroughly.   I threw mine in my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, and used the whisk attachment on med low for about 15 minutes to really combine things.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

Brush on the chicken during the final cooking process – about 8 minutes or so, reserving the rest of the sauce to use as a dipping sauce.

Flank Steak Italiano

This is a REALLY simple recipe, and you can interchange the ingredients with a variety of things.  For me, the combination of the roasted peppers, prosciutto, and the provolone cheese melting as the meat cooks was just sublime!  I used toothpicks to hold the roll together, it would be MUCH easier to tie it off every 2 inches or so with cotton cooks twine.

Ingredients:

About 1 lb of flank steak

1 package thin sliced prosciutto

About 4 slices jarred roasted red peppers

4 or 5 slices thick cut provolone cheese

Several leaves of  fresh basil
Handful of spinach leaves

Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Directions:

Lay the flank steak out on a large piece of waxed paper, and fold it over to cover completely.  Hammer steak out with a meat mallet, till it is about ½ inch thick.  Lay out on a plate.

Season with fresh kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and just a sprinkling of garlic powder ( a little of this goes a LONG way)

Lay Prosciutto strips out so entire steak is covered, lay red peppers so entire steak is covered, spread Basil and spinach leaves over peppers, and finally cover all of it with slices of cheese.

Roll the steak as tight as you can, pin closed with toothpics.  Tie with cotton butchers twine every two inches or so, to keep steak rolled up. Remove toothpicks.

Grill over med – med/high heat for about 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so to brown all 4 sides.  Cooking times vary by grill, so use a meat thermometer to be sure it is done – should be about 150 or 160 degrees for medium.

Serve sliced about ¾ of an inch thick, with grilled veggies and a salad….. a simple, awesome summer meal!

Gnocchi with sun dried tomato mushroom sauce

So tonight was "what can I throw in a pan?" night.  After leaving my parent's house this weekend with a serious craving for gnocchi, I had Jer pick some up from the store.  We had mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, cream, and ricotta in the fridge, and the rest is history.  You're looking at 15 minutes to a sinfully rich and delicious weeknight meal.

Gnocchi with sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms
Ingredients:
2/3 of an 8 oz jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil
1/2 of an 8 oz package of sliced portobello mushrooms
8 oz of half and half
3 tbsp white wine
1/2 cup ricotta
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp red pepper flakes (I added more for heat after serving)
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 package fresh gnocchi (avoid the frozen-- it has a mushy consistency)

Prep:
-Prepare gnocchi according to package directions; drain and place back in pot.
Meanwhile:
-In food processor, combine sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and about 2/3 of the half and half.  Process until you have a paste.
-In 10" skillet, sautee mushrooms until just soft.
-Add rosemary, red pepper, tomato puree, remainder of cream, and wine
-Combine and simmer on medium low heat for just a couple of minutes; enough to combine all ingredients to an even consistency.
-Just before serving, stir in ricotta.  Combine with gnocchi in pan; sprinkle with fresh basil.

Enjoy!  ~Tory