Sorry about the lack of a recipe post today. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed between school and work and I'm currently focused on keeping my head above water, so to speak.
More recipes to come when I have a little more time to think and breathe.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Ricotta Gnocchi
And so we come to the second recipe from our Italian Iron Chef: gnocchi!
If you're a long time reader, you know my struggles with gnocchi. I love it, but it requires patience to make. Patience is something I don't always have.
But that it potato-based gnocchi. Friends, ricotta gnocchi is so much more forgiving! And delicious. Little delicate pillows of wonderful.
Ricotta Gnocchi
From the Italian Chef
Serves 6
3.25 cups of flour
2 eggs
1.5 pound of ricotta cheese, well drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Set a large pot of water on the stove over high heat to come to a boil
Place three cups of flour in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat your eggs with a fork. Add the eggs to the flour. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, and the salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix the ingredients to form a dough.
Sprinkle a clean, dry countertop with some flour. Turn your dough out onto it and lightly knead for 2 to 3 minutes. If your dough is too sticky, gradually work in the remaining 1/4 cup. You want the dough to be somewhat tacky and soft, but not sticky.
Separate the dough into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Using both hands, roll each ball into a log about the width of your index finger. Cut each individual log into gnocchi-sized pieces (about 1/2 inch).
By this time, hopefully your water is boiling. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and your gnocchi. Boil the gnocchi for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they start floating to the top.
Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and serve with the braciole (or any other sauce you should desire).
If you're a long time reader, you know my struggles with gnocchi. I love it, but it requires patience to make. Patience is something I don't always have.
But that it potato-based gnocchi. Friends, ricotta gnocchi is so much more forgiving! And delicious. Little delicate pillows of wonderful.
Ricotta Gnocchi
From the Italian Chef
Serves 6
3.25 cups of flour
2 eggs
1.5 pound of ricotta cheese, well drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Set a large pot of water on the stove over high heat to come to a boil
Place three cups of flour in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat your eggs with a fork. Add the eggs to the flour. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, and the salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix the ingredients to form a dough.
Sprinkle a clean, dry countertop with some flour. Turn your dough out onto it and lightly knead for 2 to 3 minutes. If your dough is too sticky, gradually work in the remaining 1/4 cup. You want the dough to be somewhat tacky and soft, but not sticky.
Separate the dough into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Using both hands, roll each ball into a log about the width of your index finger. Cut each individual log into gnocchi-sized pieces (about 1/2 inch).
By this time, hopefully your water is boiling. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and your gnocchi. Boil the gnocchi for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they start floating to the top.
Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and serve with the braciole (or any other sauce you should desire).
Monday, April 18, 2011
Beef Braciole
Last year, Alex and I went to a wine tasting organized by some people from Cellar Tracker. It was a lot of fun and we met several interesting people. Afterward, Alex decided that he wanted to host one and have the theme be Italian wine. He asked the other people from this group if they would be willing to put in some money so that we could get some really nice wine. They agreed so we picked a date and Alex went ahead and bought some fairly expensive Italian wines.
Two weeks before the tasting, Alex sent out an e-mail to confirm that everyone was still going to come. Slowly, everyone dropped out. This left us with several bottles of wine that we had intended to split with people who would pay a share for them.
Since that fell through, we tried to decide what we were going to do with the wine. Alex didn't want to sell it because he really did want to taste it. We tried to figure out who we could share with and for what occasion. Luckily for us, we have some really good friends who are always willing to drink wine we serve them and bring some delicious food along to accompany it.
Thus our next Iron Chef dinner was decided. Italian food, so that we had an excuse to drink the wine.
It so happened that we were up for main dish, so I did some research and found a dish that I thought would be great to accompany the delicious wine.
Beef Braciole
From the Italian Chef
Serves 4
1 lb boneless beef round, cut into 4 thin slices approximately 1/3 inch thick
4 slices of prosciutto
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2-28oz cans imported Italian tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 bay leaves
3 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 celery stalks, chopped chopped fine
1 cup dry red wine
Flour spread for dredging
Salt & pepper to taste
Place each slice of beef between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder (or a heavy skillet!) until 1/4 inch thick. On top of this, sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Lay the slices of prosciutto on the beef.
On top of the prosciutto, sprinkle the pine nuts, cheese, garlic, and parsley. Roll the beef up over it and tuck in the ends. Tie each meat roll with some kitchen twine.
Heat half of the oil (about 1/4 cup) in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, roll the meat in some flour and shake off the excess. Add meat to the heated oil and brown on all sides (this takes about 15 minutes). Remove from heat.
Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a large pan (I like to use my dutch oven). Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook under the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the meat to the pan as well as the bay leaves and some more salt and pepper.
To this pan, add the red wine and cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Add the cans of tomatoes to the pan. (The original recipe said to puree these, but I left them chunky). Add 1.75 cups of water to the pan. Add the tomato puree. Lower heat so that the sauce is simmering, and cook for an hour and a half to two hours (until tender).
When the beef is done, you'll serve it over the gnocchi (with the sauce from the braciole pan). Gnocchi recipe on Wednesday!
Two weeks before the tasting, Alex sent out an e-mail to confirm that everyone was still going to come. Slowly, everyone dropped out. This left us with several bottles of wine that we had intended to split with people who would pay a share for them.
Since that fell through, we tried to decide what we were going to do with the wine. Alex didn't want to sell it because he really did want to taste it. We tried to figure out who we could share with and for what occasion. Luckily for us, we have some really good friends who are always willing to drink wine we serve them and bring some delicious food along to accompany it.
Thus our next Iron Chef dinner was decided. Italian food, so that we had an excuse to drink the wine.
It so happened that we were up for main dish, so I did some research and found a dish that I thought would be great to accompany the delicious wine.
Beef BracioleFrom the Italian Chef
Serves 4
1 lb boneless beef round, cut into 4 thin slices approximately 1/3 inch thick
4 slices of prosciutto
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2-28oz cans imported Italian tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 bay leaves
3 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 celery stalks, chopped chopped fine
1 cup dry red wine
Flour spread for dredging
Salt & pepper to taste
Place each slice of beef between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder (or a heavy skillet!) until 1/4 inch thick. On top of this, sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Lay the slices of prosciutto on the beef.
On top of the prosciutto, sprinkle the pine nuts, cheese, garlic, and parsley. Roll the beef up over it and tuck in the ends. Tie each meat roll with some kitchen twine.
Heat half of the oil (about 1/4 cup) in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, roll the meat in some flour and shake off the excess. Add meat to the heated oil and brown on all sides (this takes about 15 minutes). Remove from heat.
Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a large pan (I like to use my dutch oven). Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook under the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the meat to the pan as well as the bay leaves and some more salt and pepper.
To this pan, add the red wine and cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Add the cans of tomatoes to the pan. (The original recipe said to puree these, but I left them chunky). Add 1.75 cups of water to the pan. Add the tomato puree. Lower heat so that the sauce is simmering, and cook for an hour and a half to two hours (until tender).
When the beef is done, you'll serve it over the gnocchi (with the sauce from the braciole pan). Gnocchi recipe on Wednesday!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Grilled Salmon with Blackberry-Cabernet Coulis
The Pacific Northwest has amazing salmon. It's sort of a big deal here... We also have some great blackberries and wine. So when I saw this recipe which combined three things that are pretty fantastic here, I knew that I needed to make it.
Frankly, the fact that this dinner got made at all was pretty amazing. Not because this recipe was hard-- it wasn't-- but because Alex and I spent all day making jam. It was hot, made hotter from the constant water bath to seal jars and also cooking jam. But after a day full of sticky sugar, something refreshing and healthy was just the ticket. Which is why this salmon actually got made.
This summer it will be made again, just maybe not on the same day as a bunch of preserves.
Grilled Salmon with Blackberry-Cabernet Coulis
From Cooking Light
Serves 6
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
2 1/2 cups blackberries, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
6 salmon steaks (1 in. thick, 6 to 7 oz. each)
Salt and pepper
In a food processor or blender, combine wine and 2 cups berries; whirl until puréed. Rub berry mixture through a fine strainer into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan; discard residue. Add shallots, ginger, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bring berry mixture to a boil over high heat, and stir often until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and more sugar to taste.
Rinse salmon and pat dry. Coil belly strips of fish into center of steaks and secure each portion with a small skewer. Lay salmon on an oiled grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill; close lid on gas grill. Cook fish, turning once, until opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 7 to 10 minutes.
Set a salmon steak on each of 6 plates, removing skewers. Spoon berry coulis equally over steaks. Garnish with remaining 1/2 cup whole berries; add salt and pepper to taste.
Frankly, the fact that this dinner got made at all was pretty amazing. Not because this recipe was hard-- it wasn't-- but because Alex and I spent all day making jam. It was hot, made hotter from the constant water bath to seal jars and also cooking jam. But after a day full of sticky sugar, something refreshing and healthy was just the ticket. Which is why this salmon actually got made.
This summer it will be made again, just maybe not on the same day as a bunch of preserves.
Grilled Salmon with Blackberry-Cabernet Coulis From Cooking Light
Serves 6
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
2 1/2 cups blackberries, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
6 salmon steaks (1 in. thick, 6 to 7 oz. each)
Salt and pepper
In a food processor or blender, combine wine and 2 cups berries; whirl until puréed. Rub berry mixture through a fine strainer into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan; discard residue. Add shallots, ginger, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bring berry mixture to a boil over high heat, and stir often until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and more sugar to taste.
Rinse salmon and pat dry. Coil belly strips of fish into center of steaks and secure each portion with a small skewer. Lay salmon on an oiled grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill; close lid on gas grill. Cook fish, turning once, until opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 7 to 10 minutes.
Set a salmon steak on each of 6 plates, removing skewers. Spoon berry coulis equally over steaks. Garnish with remaining 1/2 cup whole berries; add salt and pepper to taste.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
S'more Cake, Take Two
If you're developing a recipe, it's not very often that you can get it right the first time you make it. Each time you make it, you tweak it a little bit, changing the thing that you weren't happy with the last time you made it. It is a process.This cake is also a process. A delicious, delicious process.
When I set out to make it originally, I wanted to make a cake that evoked one of my favorite parts of summer. Honey kissed graham cracker, gooey chocolate, oozing, toasted marshmallow.
The cupcakes were a fine first effort. The cake was even closer to right. This second cake was great, but not quite right.
In the first cake, I made two graham cracker layers, and one chocolate layer. I frosted it with the marshmallow and then torched it.
In this cake, I made two graham cracker layers and separated them with a layer of chocolate ganache. Then I frosted it with the marshmallow.
Next time? I'll make three layers of graham cracker, two layers of ganache, and frost the outside with the marshmallow. Then I think it will be perfect.
Graham cracker cake and marshmallow frosting can be found here.
Ganache:
9 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
Put chocolate chips and butter in a heat proof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil. Pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for a minute and then whisk until smooth.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Spaghetti with Chorizo and Almonds
Last summer, Alex and I went to dinner at a restaurant called the Herbfarm. The dinner itself was amazing. In fact, it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten.
Part of what made it so wonderful is that they took the time to source local ingredients. The fact that it was summer produce helped, too.
One of the courses in the dinner had saffron in the dish. Saffron, if you're unfamiliar, is a ridiculously expensive cooking ingredient, typically imported from Spain. It is made from the stamen
of a crocus flower and it extremely labor intensive to harvest. One ounce (ONE!) can cost you $885 or more. Granted, an ounce is a whole lot of saffron (they are usually sold in 0.80 gram packages), but still. The thing that made this particular saffron used in the course interesting was not the price of the ingredient, but the fact that it had been grown in Washington. This was a revelation for me. Locally grown saffron? Amazing! I knew that I wanted to get my hands on some. Yesterday, I finally did.
Now, I did not use the local saffron in today's recipe because I had not yet gotten my hands on any. But I imagine that I will continue to use the local saffron from now on, assuming I can get my hands on it. If you make this, make it with whatever saffron you can get your hands on. It really is delicious, and a little goes a long way.
Spaghetti with Chorizo and Almonds Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped 12 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins, toasted
4 oz baby spinach
Mix the broth, wine, saffron, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until it is al dente. Drain.
While the spaghetti is cooking, melt the butter and saute the chorizo, onions, and the garlic over medium high heat mein a skillet until the chorizo takes on some color, the onions are soft, and the garlic turns a lovely golden brown. Add the saffron liquid to the skillet and scrape up the brown bits.
Cook until the liquid has mostly cooked off, leaving about 1/2 cup to a cup. Add the spaghetti to the skillet and toss with the ingredients in the pan. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted and then serve.
Part of what made it so wonderful is that they took the time to source local ingredients. The fact that it was summer produce helped, too.
One of the courses in the dinner had saffron in the dish. Saffron, if you're unfamiliar, is a ridiculously expensive cooking ingredient, typically imported from Spain. It is made from the stamen
of a crocus flower and it extremely labor intensive to harvest. One ounce (ONE!) can cost you $885 or more. Granted, an ounce is a whole lot of saffron (they are usually sold in 0.80 gram packages), but still. The thing that made this particular saffron used in the course interesting was not the price of the ingredient, but the fact that it had been grown in Washington. This was a revelation for me. Locally grown saffron? Amazing! I knew that I wanted to get my hands on some. Yesterday, I finally did. Now, I did not use the local saffron in today's recipe because I had not yet gotten my hands on any. But I imagine that I will continue to use the local saffron from now on, assuming I can get my hands on it. If you make this, make it with whatever saffron you can get your hands on. It really is delicious, and a little goes a long way.
Spaghetti with Chorizo and Almonds Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Serves 4
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped 12 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins, toasted
4 oz baby spinach
Mix the broth, wine, saffron, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until it is al dente. Drain.
While the spaghetti is cooking, melt the butter and saute the chorizo, onions, and the garlic over medium high heat mein a skillet until the chorizo takes on some color, the onions are soft, and the garlic turns a lovely golden brown. Add the saffron liquid to the skillet and scrape up the brown bits.
Cook until the liquid has mostly cooked off, leaving about 1/2 cup to a cup. Add the spaghetti to the skillet and toss with the ingredients in the pan. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted and then serve.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Mulled Cider with Calvados
This is the last recipe I have to share with you for alcohol week. This one was nice because you can throw everything in the slow cooker and forget about it or you can prepare it on the stove.
We made this recipe as part of our foodie-friends Thanksgiving. It was a chilly fall night and this was a great thing to have a glass of with good friends and lots of great food.
Our local farmers market has a vendor called Rockridge Orchards. We buy all our cider from Rockridge and it is the best cider I've ever had. We used that cider for this drink. You will want to follow our lead and use the best flavored cider that you can find.
Mulled Cider with Calvados
From Epicurious
3 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
3 whole allspice berries
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 whole cloves
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1/2 Granny Smith or other tart apple, cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup Calvados, or to taste
In a saucepan stir together the cider, the brown sugar, the allspice, the nutmeg, the cloves, the cinnamon pieces, and the apple, simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the Calvados.
Heat the mixture over moderate heat until it is hot and discard the allspice, the cloves, and the cinnamon.
Divide the mulled cider among heated mugs and garnish each drink with a few of the apple slices.
For the slow cooker option: Add the cider, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon pieces, and apple in a slow cooker. Depending on how much time you have, cook it on either low (several hours) or high (an hour or so) until hot. Once it's hot, you can keep it on the warm setting.
We made this recipe as part of our foodie-friends Thanksgiving. It was a chilly fall night and this was a great thing to have a glass of with good friends and lots of great food.
Our local farmers market has a vendor called Rockridge Orchards. We buy all our cider from Rockridge and it is the best cider I've ever had. We used that cider for this drink. You will want to follow our lead and use the best flavored cider that you can find.
Mulled Cider with Calvados
From Epicurious
3 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
3 whole allspice berries
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 whole cloves
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1/2 Granny Smith or other tart apple, cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup Calvados, or to taste
In a saucepan stir together the cider, the brown sugar, the allspice, the nutmeg, the cloves, the cinnamon pieces, and the apple, simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the Calvados.
Heat the mixture over moderate heat until it is hot and discard the allspice, the cloves, and the cinnamon.
Divide the mulled cider among heated mugs and garnish each drink with a few of the apple slices.
For the slow cooker option: Add the cider, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon pieces, and apple in a slow cooker. Depending on how much time you have, cook it on either low (several hours) or high (an hour or so) until hot. Once it's hot, you can keep it on the warm setting.
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