Talk about a dish that will brighten up your dinner plate.
This is it.
Adapted from the always amazing Molly O’Neill’s A Well Seasoned Appetite, this dish has all the ingredients to transport you on a mental vacation to the Mediterranean .
Saffron, orange, basil, rosemary.
Throw in a few choice scallops, Nicoise olives and the freshest tomatoes you can find.
Pasta, if you like.
It’s travel in a bite.
Mediterranean Scallops
Adapted from Molly O’Neill’s A Well Seasoned Appetite
A couple of swirls extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
1 spoonful garlic confit ( or a couple of fat garlic cloves, chopped)
1 cup dry white wine
1 large pinch saffron
6 -8 of the ripest Campari tomatoes, quartered
½ cup oil cured olives, pitted
½ fresh orange, zested
2 medium springs fresh rosemary, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 large basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
A good splash aged sherry vinegar
1 pound fresh scallops
Enough cooked pasta (linguine or fettuccine) for 2 (optional)
Put a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet and heat til the oil is wavy. Add the minced shallots and garlic and maintain a medium low heat. Cook until the shallots are tender. Add the wine , saffron and raise the heat to medium high and saute stirring, until the mixture is reduced to about ¼ cup.
Add half the tomatoes, olives, orange zest, rosemary and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat back to medium low and cook, stirring frequently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
Combine remaining tomatoes, fresh basil, sherry vinegar and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper in a glass bowl and set aside to marinate while you finish the dish.
Add the scallops to the skillet with the sauce and cook, about 5-7 minutes, until the scallops are cooked through.
This is faboo with or without the addition of the pasta.
Top the dish with the marinated tomato salad and serve.
Serves 3 generously.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Mediterranean Scallops
Friday, January 29, 2010
Claudia's Baked Ziti
Describing food can be so challenging at times.
Yeah, yeah talk about depth of flavor, ease of preparation.
How the meatiness of something tickles the fancy of something else in the dish and it all comes together in one big explosion…your taste buds are flipping out…
Whatever.
Well, as far as this Baked Ziti goes, it has all of the above but why bother when one word describes it.
Outstanding.
This recipe is from a dear friend who is new to the blogging world and has taken on Beard on Bread by James Beard and is baking her way through it.
Check her out here.
And check out those fabulous bowls the bread is rising in.
Her husband is a potter extraordinaire.
Check him out here.
And then start your ziti.
Claudia’s Baked Ziti
With a bit of adaptation by me
1 lb. ziti (cook as directed on package, drain)
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage , removed from casing
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 C parmesan reggiano, cheese
2 eggs
6 fat garlic cloves, chopped
I large yellow onion, chopped
½ large fennel bulb, chopped
A couple of dashes crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped for garnish
28 oz. plum tomatoes
½ cup red wine
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine eggs, ricotta and parmesan.
In a large skillet, heat a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil til wavy. Add the Italian sausage and cook until brown. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel to drain. Add onion, crushed red pepper flakes and fennel to the pan and cook til golden. Add the garlic and cook about five minutes. Add red wine and let cook down to half and then add tomatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes until reduced, thick and yummy. Add the cooked Italian sausage and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Layer into lasagna pan starting with sausage and tomato sauce, then cooked ziti, parmesan mix and mozzarella. Repeat using up all ingredients and ending with sauce and top that with mozzarella.
.
Bake covered for 1 hour, uncover last 10 minutes to brown top a little. Sprinkle chopped Italian parsley on top for garnish and enjoy.
Serves 6 generously.
Click here for a printable recipe.
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Rigatoni with Lamb Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes and Mint
Fresh tomatoes and mint.
In the dead of winter.
Well, why the hell not?
If you’re hungry and you happen to have all the ingredients to a divine dinner, are you going to punish yourself because it might not be the “correct” time to eat something. The Food Police need to lighten up a bit.
The wonderful Campari tomatoes on the vine work great for this. And fresh mint is not hard to come by.
Combine with a simple saute of ground lamb, onions, fat garlic cloves and spicy fresh ginger and you’ve got a quick meal that will knock your socks off.
And offer hopes of warm weather during an Arctic freeze.
Rigatoni with Lamb Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes and Mint
Adapted from Patricia Wells’ The Provence Cookbook
2 onions, peeled and diced
1 large spoonful garlic confit or 6 fat garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A good inch of fresh ginger, peeled and cut in small pieces
A couple of good shakes crushed red pepper flakes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound ground lamb
A good hand of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
A good pinch dried mint
1-1-2 cups dry white wine
6 Campari tomatoes, cut in quarters
A good handful fresh mint, chopped
Cook enough rigatoni for three people
Pecorino Romano cheese , grated, to pass
Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is shimmery, add onions, garlic and season with coarse salt. Stir, cover and cook over low heat until soft, about three minutes.
Throw the carrots, celery, ginger and hot pepper flakes in the food processor. Pulse a couple of times and put in pan with the onions and garlic mix. Cook until soft. Add the lamb and cook until it’s no longer pink. Add parsley, dried mint and white wine and bring to a boil. The reduce the heat and let it rock til the wine has evaporated. Patricia says that should take about five minutes.
Put the Campari tomatoes, fresh mint and a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
At this point, when the pasta is done, drain and add immediately to the skillet. Toss together and then cover and let it sit for a couple of minutes and then taste for seasoning.
Serve with the Campari tomato and mint salad on top and a good grating of the Pecorino Romano cheese.
Pure bliss.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Ultimate Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken, tomatoes, spaghetti, black olives and cheddar cheese.
Baked in the oven.
School Food circa 1965.
Don’t get me wrong, I love this stuff.
But I’m not 9 years old and my taste for chicken spaghetti has grown up.
Roasted fennel, red peppers, onions, garlic tossed with chopped roast chicken and tomatoes.
Kalamata olives, whole wheat spaghetti and fresh baby spinach.
Manchego cheese.
Now that’s Chicken Spaghetti.
The Ultimate Chicken Spaghetti
1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 large sweet red onion, sliced thin
1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced thin
10 fat garlic cloves, smashed
2 large red bell peppers, sliced thin
A couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 good shakes crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Kalamata olives pitted and sliced in half, optional
1 28 ounce can diced san Marzano tomatoes, drained
2 cups roasted chicken, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
1 cup grated Manchego cheese
whole wheat spaghetti to serve 3
Put the water on to cook the spaghetti.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the pan in the oven as it preheats.
Toss fennel, onions, garlic, peppers with the olive oil and add the red pepper flakes and fennel seed. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Pull out the oven rack the sheet pan is on very carefully to the point where you can add the fennel mix. Stir onto pan…be very careful. Roast for 15 minutes. Add the chicken, tomatoes, olives and stir well. Roast until fennel is tender. Cook the pasta.
Take chicken mixture out of oven and put in large bowl, toss with the spinach. Drain the pasta, add to the bowl and add the cheese, tossing to incorporate. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serves three generously.
**Thanks to The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper for the fennel garlic onion roast inspiration.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Thursday, December 4, 2008
FG's Chicken Fajita Pasta
Comfort food.
Sometimes you need it because you’ve had a bad day at work.
Sometimes you need it because trying to create something exotic and grand to eat seems positively akin to having a bad day at work.
Then again, sometimes you need it because, well, it’s familiar, tasty, easy, and comforting.
Comforting because you’ll probably have the ingredients in your pantry and freezer.
A little Mexican, a little Italian, a lot of good.
Comfort food.
FG’s Chicken Fajita Pasta
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp medium chile powder
1 tbsp Spanish hot paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1-½ tsp garlic powder
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into long strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into long strips
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into long strips
1 medium Spanish onion, cut in half and then cut into strips
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
5 boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
Penne for three people, ready to cook
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
An avocado, peeled and cut up (if you like)
A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Your favorite salsa
Greek yogurt or sour cream
Combine seasonings in small bowl. Rub into the chicken thigh pieces and let sit while you cook the veggies. Swirl extra virgin olive oil in cast iron pan and when oil is wavy add the onion and peppers and cook until soft. Remove from pan and add a bit more olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook on one side til golden and turn and cook on the other side.
Start the pasta water and when boiling add the penne and cook 10 minutes.
When the chicken is done, add the peppers and onions back to the cast iron pan and the black beans. Let simmer until pasta is done.
Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water. Add pasta to the chicken and veggie mix along with the reserved pasta water. Stir well and cover for five minutes over low heat to allow pasta to absorb the flavors.
Serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, avocado, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, your favorite salsa and a blop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Serves 3 generously.
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Spinach Lasagna
I have a couple of dishes I used to make often.
Years ago.
Spinach Lasagna and Beef Stroganoff.
Both fabulous, but haven’t really come to mind to make in a long time.
You know how you find other things to cook and old standbys sometimes get lost in the shuffle.
Groom heard about my lasagna. Off and on, since we met, he has asked me to make it for him.
Sometimes not so subtle in his requests.
“ When are you going to make your lasagna?”
“I’m having knee surgery and I’ll recover faster if you make your lasagna, don’t you think?”
“We have some spinach, are you going to make lasagna? “
“Of course, if you’re not in the mood to make lasagna, I could eat Beef Stroganoff instead.”
I gave in.
I made it for him.
Now, I hear “When are you going to make it again. That was too good.”
“I’m feeling like having lasagna, what do you think?”
I froze enough to keep him at bay for a few meals.
He mentioned Beef Stroganoff today.
Help.
Spinach Lasagna
Most Liberally adapted from The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas
Make sauce:
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
½ large Vidalia onion coarsely chopped
1 large spoonful garlic confit
A couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil
Handful of fresh basil
1 tbsp dried Turkish oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-½ cups San Marzano tomatoes and their juice , pureed in the food processor
1 glass red wine
Cover dried mushrooms with 1 cup boiling water and let sit for 20 minutes.
Strain through paper towel or cheesecloth, reserve broth and chop the mushrooms. In skillet heat the olive oil and when wavy add the onion. Cook, stirring until transparent and add the garlic confit.
Chop the basil and throw it in the pan with the oregano
Add the mushrooms, their broth, the tomatoes, to the pan and red wine (Beaujolais is the wine of choice for us) and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
Make filling:
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1 small spoonful garlic confit
1-½ lbs fresh baby spinach, chopped
3 large eggs
1 lb whole milk ricotta
grate about a tsp of fresh nutmeg
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ lb grated Parmesan Reggiana,
½ lb shredded whole milk mozzarella
1 pound lasagna noodles, uncooked
Put a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil into a medium saute pan over medium high heat. When the oil is wavy, add the Vidalia onion and cook for about 8 minutes until soft and add the garlic confit. Lower the heat and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Chop the spinach. Whisk together the eggs and add the cheeses, nutmeg and coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the spinach and set aside.
Take a bit of olive oil and grease a large oblong pan or two small ones.
Put 3 dry lasagna noodles in pan. Then the spinach mix and then top with some tomato sauce. And repeat the layers until you have used all, ending with the tomato sauce.
Cut a piece of aluminum foil to cover the lasagna. Put olive oil on the side of the foil that will be closest to the lasagna. Bake for 45 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake for 20 more minutes or til lasagna is bubbling and hot through.
Big fat yum.
This is best the second day. It also freezes beautifully. To freeze, cut cooled lasagna into serving sizes. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Store in plastic freezer bags. When you’re ready for some faboo lasagna, take out of freezer and remove foil and plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 400 and cook for 45 minutes or til hot through.
Serves 6
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Roasted Chicken with Orecchiette in a Greek Tomato Sauce
As the sun fades in the west, the roast chicken of the past two posts comes to a good end.
It’s stocked the freezer with, wait for it, stock.
And having been picked clean by a professional chicken picker, aka Groom, it has yielded yet another memorable meal.
Thanks to The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper, the left over chicken found itself in one hell of a tomato sauce seasoned with cinnamon, crushed Aleppo pepper flakes and Turkish oregano. Topped with a bit of creamy goat cheese, the only thing missing from this meal was the belly dancer.
No, wait. I was here.
You gotta do something to keep the spice in life.
Roasted Chicken with Orecchiette in a Greek Tomato Sauce
Liberally Adapted from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
½ large Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
Small handful Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp sun dried tomato paste
1 tsp dark wildflower honey
½ glass red wine
Big spoonful garlic confit
28 ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes
1-½ cup diced roasted chicken
Orecchiette or a “hollow” pasta to catch the sauce
1 ounce creamy goat cheese
Heat olive oil til wavy in 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. When wavy add parsley, onion and a generous pinch of coarse salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Cook until onions are soft and golden and add sun dried tomato paste, garlic confit and dark wildflower honey and combine well. Let cook for about five minutes and then add red wine and the San Marzano tomatoes and their juice. Season well to taste, and let cook for about 10 minutes until thick. Add diced roasted chicken. Let simmer for 10 minutes .
Cook orecchiette , drain and add to the tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 ounce of creamy goat cheese to pasta, stir and add a remaining.
Serves 3 generously.
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Henry Fielding's Roast Chicken
Every person should have a meal like this.
There’s not a food group left untouched after this is over.
Granted, Tom Jones and Mrs. Waters are characters from The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling by Henry Fielding.
It does make you wonder about Fielding.
Logically, he must have enjoyed his food.
And his dinner companions..
Seems to me Fielding put his life experience whole heartedly into his work.
And then the movies came along and put it on the screen.
I don’t know about you, but I have never quite looked at roast chicken in the same way since.
Henry Fielding's Roast Chicken
Adapted from Jacques Pepin’s Table
1 3-4 pound chicken
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 425.
Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
Heat a couple of good swirls of olive oil in large cast iron or oven proof skillet until hot and the olive oil looks wavy. Place chicken on one side in the skillet and brown over medium to high heat for 3 minutes or so. Turn it over and brown on the other side for 3 minutes.
Put the skillet in the oven. Roast chicken uncovered for 20 minutes. Turn on other side and roast for another 20 minutes. Then turn chicken on its back and baste with juices from cooking and roast it breast side up for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and place it breast side down on a platter. Pour drippings from skillet into a bowl and set aside to allow fat to rise to the top. Do not rinse the skillet. IF you are making the fabulous pasta side dish, read and follow those directions.
If no pasta for you, just the chicken, deglaze the skillet by adding a couple of tablespoons dry white wine, or red wine or water, whatever you have handy, and stir to melt the juices over high heat. Add to drippings in bowl and skim off and discard as much fat as you can. Serve with the chicken.
Serves 4 generously.
Pasta with Manchego
Adapted from Jacques Pepin's Table
10 ounces medium sized pasta (I used penne but shells are best)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup freshly grated Manchego cheese
Cook pasta and drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking water. Put the skillet the chicken was cooked in over medium high heat. Add the pasta water and bring to a boil, stirring to get the juices in the skillet and put this liquid in a bowl large enough to hold the pasta. Skim off about 3 tbsp fat that has risen to the top of the bowl with the original drippings. Add the fat to the bowl with the deglazing liquid. Add remaining ingredients and toss well.
Serves 4 generously.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Ground Pork with Fresh Fennel, Broccoli Rabe and Two Tomatoes: A Sauce for Pasta
Wow.
What a meal.
Frost in the forecast.
A warm fire.
A bunch of broccoli rabe.
A desire for a different pasta sauce.
And a package of ground pork that wanted a home.
It got a great one.
Ground Pork with Fresh Fennel, Broccoli Rabe and Two Tomatoes: A Sauce for Pasta
Inspired by Last Night's Dinner
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground pork
¼ cup dry vermouth
¼ cup chicken stock
½ large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 large fresh fennel, chopped
1 large spoonful garlic confit
1-½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 tbsp fennel seed
1-½ tsp dried French thyme
1-½ tsp dried Turkish oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-15 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes and their juice
¼ cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
1 bunch broccoli rabe, trim the stems, wash and chop
Medium pasta shells, cooked (enough for four)
Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat and add a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is wavy, add the ground pork and season well with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. When pork has cooked through, remove from pan and add a bit more olive oil.
Add fennel and Vidalia onions and let cook for about 10 minutes til soft. Add crushed red peppers, thyme, oregano and season with freshly ground black pepper. Add the garlic confit and let cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the vermouth to the pan and stir well. Add the pork back to the pan and any drippings and stir well. Add canned tomatoes, the sundrieds and chicken stock. Let cook for about 30 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the broccoli rabe and bring back to a boil and let cook about three minutes. Remove the rabe from the water, add it to the pork mixture and let simmer while you cook the pasta. When pasta is done, drain it and add to the sauce. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
Serves 4 generously.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tagliatelle with Six Peppers
Food does not have to be complicated to be considered excellent.
You don’t have to have lots of different ingredients to make an outstanding meal.
You can feature one item, concentrating its flavors so you get the essence of what it’s all about.
Using the brightly colored peppers of summer, crushed red pepper flakes for heat, extra virgin olive oil, spicy fresh basil and a quick grating of Parmigiana Reggiana you have an easy summer supper that is as beautiful as it tastes.
Simple can be legendary.
Tagliatelle with Six Peppers
Adapted from Patricia Wells’ Tagliatelle con Peperoni e Basilica in
Trattoria
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper.
6 good swirls extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a covered deep 12 inch skillet)
Crushed hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
Freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiana
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Enough Tagliatelle for three people*
Halve the peppers, core them and slice in very thin matchstick pieces. Swirl enough extra virgin olive oil to into the bottom of a deep 12 inch skillet that has a top. Shake a bit of crushed red pepper flakes into the oil, add the peppers and season with a little coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss them well and put the pan, covered over very low heat until the peppers are very soft. This takes about 45 minutes. Don’t let the peppers brown. Stir from time to time and don’t let them burn. They will make a lovely sauce from their juices in the bottom of the pan. You can do this ahead of time and reheat.
Cook the Tagliatelle in a large pot of water until tender and drain.
Put the Tagliatelle in the skillet with the peppers, off the heat and toss to blend. Cover and let sit for three minutes so the sauce is absorbed. Transfer to pasta bowls, top with the basil, grate Parmigiana and you’re ready for a great meal.
Serves 3 generously.
(it's possible to use Papardelle in this as well. It tastes divine either way)
Monday, June 2, 2008
Pasta with Zucchini, Tomato and Fresh Herbs
May was a wild month at Chez Feeding Groom. In and out of town, wild work weeks, birthdays, gardening..it seemed to fly by as fast as gas prices rose. Where does the time go? Weekends seem to be shorter even though the days are getting longer. I turn around and it’s late and I’m starving. Not a good thing to be if you have to make a decision about what to cook for dinner.
Keep it simple.
That’s this pasta dish. Fresh oregano and rosemary. Zucchini sliced on the mandoline, quickly sautéed and a easy tomato sauce combine to make a tasty supper after a day of life in the fast lane.
Pasta with Zucchini, Tomato and Fresh Herbs
Adapted from a recipe by Patricia Wells
A couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil
5 fat garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and sliced thin
A good shake of hot crushed red peppers
1 medium zucchini, sliced very thin on mandoline
Splash of balsamic vinegar
1 4 inch piece fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1 4 inch piece fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
1 14 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes and their juice
Cook pasta for 2-3 people, use what you have on hand..linguine was the choice this time, but rigatoni is wonderful with it as well.
Heat a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil in large cast iron skillet. Add garlic cloves, rosemary, red pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook til garlic is golden about 3 minutes. Don’t let it brown. Add crushed tomatoes and a splash of dry white wine, stir to combine and simmer for about 15 minutes uncovered til it thickens.
In another skillet, heat a one good swirl of extra virgin olive oil and when shimmers add the zucchini and toss til golden. Put in a colander to drain any oil and season with coarsely ground pepper and fresh oregano.
When you’re ready to serve add the drained pasta to the tomato sauce and combine. Then add the zucchini. Cover and let sit over low heat for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Shrimp with Toasted Almonds and Garlic Confit
Vacation is getting closer and therefore dinner at the Red Brick Ranchero has become more of what needs to be used before we leave instead of what do you think about having such and such. And then going to the store to get such and such.
So creativity is at a high point around here. It’s truly a time of standing in front of the fridge and keeping fingers crossed that you have the makings of a wonderful dinner.
I had some garlic confit I had made last weekend thanks to the wonderful blog by Ann called A Chicken in Every Granny Cart.
Garlic confit is one of the easiest things to make and makes a huge difference in the flavor of the foods you are preparing, each time adding a depth of flavor that is you just don’t get with fresh garlic. The flavor is sweeter, smoother, more adult is the best way I can think to describe it. And it works in many dishes.
You can make the confit and use it immediately. An extra bonus is the garlicky olive oil ready to use in salad dressings, or a fast saute of chicken, or drizzled over a gratin before baking.
Or this quick shrimp and toasted almond sauce that is to die for with a bit of Papardelle.
What was I worried about?
Garlic Confit
Place in small saucepan and cover with extra virgin olive oil.
Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to the lowest setting. Partially cover and let cook about 25-30 minutes or til you can pierce easily with tip of a knife.
Remove cloves to a plate and let cool. Cool the oil as well. Squeeze garlic out of casings into small jar.
Save oil in jar to use as you would regular olive oil.
Keep confit in the refrigerator.
Shrimp with Toasted Almonds and Garlic Confit
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 tbsp garlic confit
2 swirls garlic oil
Good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup white wine
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Papardelle , cooked
Heat garlic oil in large heavy skillet over medium high heat and when shimmery cook the shrimp until they turn pink and remove from the pan.
Add white wine and reduce by half. Add garlic confit and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute. Add the shrimp and almonds and stir til combined..
At this point you can add the pasta to the pan and toss.
Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.
Serves 2.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Linguini with Clams, Fennel and Chorizo
This morning, I woke up thinking about clams.
Driving home, I remember the chorizo in the fridge, not Groom’s homemade version as we finished the latest batch last week, but some from Niman Ranch so the chorizo is not slacking in the taste department. Sweet bell pepper and fennel that needed a home would be fabulous with the clams.
I could have gone to the store and gotten fresh clams, but I haven’t had the best of luck with those. One of these days I’ll grow up and give them another try, but for now, the cans would work fine for the clam sauce that was percolating in my head.
And such a fine clam sauce it is. Totally different from any I’ve had before. Sweet, spicy with a touch of heat from the chorizo.
2 links chorizo sausage, remove the casing and crumble as best you can
(or use homemade chorizo and get enough for a scant ¾ cup of cooked sausage)
Couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, diced (save a nice piece of the fennel fronds)
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 cans clams, drained reserve juice
4 fat cloves of garlic, chopped
1 good sized tsp fennel seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
Linguini
Heat a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil in cast iron skillet. When hot but not smoking add chorizo and cook til nice and browned and releases the fat. Remove from the skillet.
Add the fennel, onion, red bell pepper and cook about 10 minutes til golden, then add the garlic and cook another ten minutes.
Heat water for pasta and start that process.
Add clam juice to skillet and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add the clams.
When pasta is done, add a ladle of pasta water to skillet and drain the pasta. Add pasta to skillet, combine well and cover and let sit for five minutes. Add the fresh fennel and serve.
Serves 3 generously.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Pollo alla Peporanata
It was one of those nights. I wanted chicken, I wanted Italian. I wanted pasta.
I didn’t want to do a tomato sauce per se, but one where the tomatoes take a back seat to another flavor. I was cleaning out the veggie drawer and realized I had a gold mine of red bell peppers. I wanted something that would show off the spicy sweetness of the peppers .
Bingo. Patricia Wells’ Trattoria had the answer. This wonderful recipe, Pollo alla Peporanata was perfect.
The butter, homemade chicken stock, melted red onions and crushed tomatoes lend a velvety richness to the sauce starring those red bells. It’s at once subtle and strong, with a silkiness brightened by a splash of balsamic vinegar at the last minute making this well suited to pasta or grilled polenta wedges.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Pollo alla Peporanata
Adapted from Trattoria by Patricia Wells
2 red bell peppers, cut into thin lengthwise strips
Coarse sea salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely minced rosemary leaves
1 large red onion, cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into very thin slices
Good pinch sugar
5 boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
1 16 ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes in juice or 1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree
Several sprigs of fresh Italian parsley, bay leaves, sprigs of fresh rosemary and celery leaves tied in a bundle with twine.
½ cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (you can’t believe the difference if you use homemade)
A splash of very good balsamic vinegar
In a large skillet combine the peppers a pinch of salt, and a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat the peppers with oil and cook, covered, over very low heat, stirring from time to time until soft and glazed about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In the same skillet, combine the onions, a pinch of salt, rosemary, sugar and a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat the onions with oil and cook uncovered over very low heat stirring from time to time until the onions are very soft and glazed about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. In skillet combine a couple of swirls of extra virgin oil and the tbsp of butter over medium heat. When hot, add chicken and cook , in batches and be sure to regulate the heat so the butter doesn’t scorch. When all chicken is cooked, return to pan. Add the tomatoes and herb bundle and let cook 5 minutes. The add chicken stock, onions and peppers and simmer until chicken is cooked through about 25 minutes. Remove and throw out the herb bundle.
Add the splash of vinegar and cook about five more minutes.
Serves 3 generously.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Pasta Med
Yet another quick, simple tomato sauce.
You can’t have too many of these sauces in your repertoire. This combination showcases capers, Kalamata olives, leeks, garlic and achieves greatness when combined with cavetelli on a Monday night while you watch Sliding Doors after a late afternoon walk in the park with Groom, Lucy and Lily.
Just another day in paradise.
Pasta Med
5 fat cloves garlic, minced
Hot red pepper flakes, 2 shakes
A couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil
A good splash dry vermouth
1 tbsp capers
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes and their juice
Cavetelli for two, cooked
Small handful chopped fresh Italian parsley
Heat a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in large saute pan. Add leeks and cook til soft and a bit of brown on the edges and add the garlic and cook about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, vermouth, sun dried tomatoes, hot red pepper flakes, olives, capers and Italian parsley. Let cook til thick. Add hot cavetelli and a bit of pasta water if sauce is too thick for your taste.
Serves 2 generously.
This sauce is wondrous with large shrimp or grilled scallops added at the last minute.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Homemade Chorizo with Leeks, Fennel and Cannelini
Coming off of my successful attempt at Merguez, I decided to take on the challenge of making my own chorizo.
If you start a discussion on chorizo and what you can do with it, people get worked up . “I only use such and such a brand.” and “don’t use that one it has blah blah in it and that’s not what goes in chorizo.”
I’m not sure that I have had enough chorizo in my life to get that picky, but the section on sausage in Joyce Goldstein’s book, The Mediterranean Kitchen, has gotten my interest up in trying my hand at more sausage. And the idea of being able to reach into the freezer and pull out homemade sausages to go into my dishes is very appealing.
Ingredients purchased, the time came for THE CHORIZO EXPERIMENT.
I didn’t make it.
Groom did.
It took all of ten minutes. I’m not kidding. We took a bit of the spicy mix and sautéed it to see if we needed to correct the seasoning. Nope. Perfection. Feeling highly pleased with himself, Groom patted out 24 two inch patties, which we immediately froze for phase two of THE CHORIZO EXPERIMENT.
Phase Two:
Several nights later, we decided to embark on Phase Two of THE CHORIZO EXPERIMENT.
Chorizo
Adapted from The Mediterranean Kitchen by Joyce Goldstein
2 pounds ground pork, 1/3 the weight in fat
¼ cup sherry vinegar
2-½ tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp smoked hot pimenton
1-½ tbsp dried Turkish oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin
½-¾ tsp cayenne pepper
1-½ tsp coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well with your hands. Fry a small patty as a test and adjust seasonings to taste.
Shape into 2 inch patties and freeze in batches of four in between sheets of waxed paper.
Makes 24 patties.
Homemade Chorizo with Leeks, Fennel and Cannelini
2 small fennel bulbs, diced
1 medium leek, trimmed and washed and cut in small dice
½ medium sweet yellow onion, diced
1 14 ounce can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 ounce can organic diced tomatoes
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
A couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces dried orecchiette, cooked while you’re making the sauce
Heat a large skillet and add a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil. When oil shimmers, add leeks and onion to pan and cook for about 15 minutes til golden. Add fennel and cook about 10 minutes, until soft. Remove from pan.
Serves 3.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Papardelle with Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Ricotta
Ricotta is one of the wonders of the world.
It can do a lot for a dish.
For a fast weeknight supper, try this pasta. It showcases ricotta and how it will melt in a dish and bring out the flavors of a favorite tomato sauce. Use egg noodles for this sauce. Papardelle or fettuccine work best.
Papardelle with Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Ricotta
Adapted from Trattoria by Patricia Wells
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
A good sized pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt to taste
A couple of sprigs of fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, celery leaves and a bay leaf tied together with twine.
1 14 ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
½ pound dried Papardelle egg noodles
5 ounces whole milk ricotta
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Put a couple of swirls extra virgin olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the pasta and add the onions, crushed peppers, a good pinch of coarse salt and the herbs . Stir to coat with oil. Cook, uncovered over very low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized…… takes about 20 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, and simmer uncovered until it begins to thicken.
In large pot bring about 6 quarts water to boil. Add salt and pasta stirring so it doesn’t stick. Cook til tender. Drain thoroughly.
Add drained pasta to skillet. Toss. Add about ¾ of the ricotta and toss again and cover. Let rest off heat for a couple of minutes . Then add remaining ricotta and add chopped Italian parsley for garnish.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Orecchiette with Shrimp, Cannelini, Greens, Tomatoes and Bread Crumbs
I handed Groom some cookbooks Saturday afternoon and asked him to pick something to do for dinner. I love it when he cooks. I can lounge on the sofa and enjoy a glass or so of wine, the fire and music as he takes over the culinary duties. I wanted comfort food, something earthy. He chose a wonderful Italian recipe from Joyce Goldstein with shrimp, cannelini beans, tomatoes and orecchiette.
If you haven’t heard of her, she is one hell of a cook and specializes in Mediterranean food. Her restaurant, Square One, in San Francisco was an amazing place. It closed in the mid nineties and she has continued feed her fans with great cookbooks. The Mediterranean Kitchen, Back to Square One, and Kitchen Conversations are must haves for the cookbook lover. And a grand meal it was!
Orecchiette with Shrimp, Cannelini, Greens, Tomatoes and Bread Crumbs
Adapted from Kitchen Conversations
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
White wine, enough to cover the shrimp in a wide sauté pan
2/3 pound large shrimp, peeled (we use tail-on shrimp)
1 pound Orecchiette (shells or penne will work fine)
3 tbsp finely minced garlic
4 cups fresh arugula, cut into strips
2 tsp fresh grated lemon zest, kept moist in a little lemon juice
2 cups diced canned plum tomatoes, drained
1 cup toasted bread crumbs, recipe below no substitutions these are great!
Toss cannelini beans with a tablespoon of olive oil. In a wide sauté pan, pour the white wine and bring it to simmer. Add shrimp and cook til just turn pink. Should take three to four minutes. Remove shrimp and set aside and reserve cooking liquid.
Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and drop in past and stir well. While the pasta is cooking, warm 3 good swirls extra olive oil in large pan over low heat. Add garlic and cook for several minutes. Add the greens and a few tablespoons of the shrimp cooking liquids. Raise the heat to medium high and stir until the greens are wilted. Add the shrimp, cannelini, lemon zest and tomatoes. Add half the bread crumbs and warm through. Season with coarse salt and black pepper. When your pasta is done, drain it and toss with shrimp and arugula mix. Top with the remaining bread crumbs and serve at once. Serves 4.
Toasted Bread Crumbs
2 cups fresh Italian or French bread, cut in cubes
1 tsp coarse salt
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 350. Pulse bread cubes in food processor to make coarse crumbs. Spread on a baking sheet . Stir salt and pepper into the oil and drizzle on the bread crumbs. Bank stirring occasionally until golden and crispy but not hard, 15 to 20 minutes.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Herbed Turkey Meatballs with Linguine and Homemade Tomato Sauce
Waxed paper is a wonderful invention. I don’t use it more than several times a year, but it is a big help in the kitchen. I bought waxed paper in 1993 from a restaurant supply company , 250 square feet and I still have over a half of a box left. I’ve wrapped Christmas ornaments in it, sandwiches, you name it, I have tried to use this box up. Why, you ask? So I can buy some more waxed paper.
Because every now and then I need it for this wonderful recipe. Herbed Turkey Meatballs with Linguine and Homemade Tomato Sauce. This is an easy recipe. I’m all about the easy part..and it’s delicious. It’s adapted from one in a great cookbook by Richard Sax and Marie Simmons called Lighter Quicker Better. Richard Sax is well known for his marvelous desserts, but this little cookbook is chocked full of great food ideas, including desserts, all done with a lighter touch but still taste great. And you’ll get to use your box of waxed paper!
There are so many tomato sauce recipes, if you have one you love that thickens up beautifully with great flavor, by all means use it with these meatballs. Here’s one of my favorites.
A couple of swirls extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 fat garlic cloves, chopped
2-½ cups San Marzano tomatoes, chopped and reserve the juice (28 ounce can)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Turkish bay leaf
Pinch of dried Turkish oregano
Pinch of dried French thyme
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
Good splash of red wine
Small handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped (about 3 tbsp)
Put a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and when hot, add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add herbs and bay leaf and when well mixed add the garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes and bring to boil over medium high heat, uncovered, until it’s reduced to a thick sauce. Takes about 25 minutes. Stir often. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste and add the parsley right before you put it in the pan with the meatballs.
Herbed Turkey Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
¼ tsp dried French thyme
¼ tsp dried Turkish oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
A couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil
Mix turkey with garlic, Italian parsley and herbs. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Make 1 inch meatballs and put on a plate lined with, you guessed it, waxed paper. Refrigerate for about a half an hour.
Heat olive oil in large non stick skillet on medium high heat. Brown the meatballs for about 5-7 minutes. Shake the pan often to roll them around and get them evenly browned. Add the tomato sauce and cover and simmer til meatballs are done and sauce is heated. Add chopped fresh parsley
Serve with linguine, freshly ground Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a garnish of chopped fresh Italian parsley.
Serves 3 generously.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Lucy's Lamb Ragu
I know ya’ll are going to think this is nuts. And maybe it is. But our dog, Lucy, cooks. She’s a willing taster of any and everything that happens to get within a 50 mile radius of her mouth. She likes to stand on her hind legs and watch me cook. She’s done this ever since she was a puppy. She’ll toddle into the kitchen and stand up with her front paws on the side of the counter. Never on the top. When I got home tonight, Lucy and I discussed what we were going to cook and she reminded me of the ground lamb that she and Groom were thawing in the sink. Every time I opened the refrigerator she was there to offer her suggestions. It was her idea to use fennel instead of celery and of course, the sun dried tomato paste instead of regular tomato paste. She’s good about that. Uses her eyes a lot ..she’s very expressive.
Occasionally she’ll have to run out of the kitchen to tighten up one of the cats that might have done something she doesn’t approve of, but mostly she’s right there. Ready to help. I couldn’t ask for a better sous chef.
Lucy’s Lamb Ragu
1 pound ground lamb
1 ounce pancetta, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
4 fat cloves garlic, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
Lots of coarsely ground black pepper and salt (not so much) to taste
2 cups canned San Marzano Italian tomatoes, whole, with their juice
½ cup dry white wine (I used vermouth)
2 good squeezes sun dried tomato paste
Small handful of chopped Italian parsley
½ cup pecorino Romano
Rigatoni
Heat olive oil in pan over moderate heat, when hot add the carrot, fennel and onion. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste.
When veggies are golden add the pancetta. When that is done, add the garlic and the rosemary and cook for about five minutes. Add ground lamb and cook until the meat is done. Add white wine and cook until the wine totally evaporates. Add the sun dried tomato paste and mix well then add the tomatoes and their juice. Lower heat and let simmer while you cook the pasta.
When ready to serve, stir in the cheese and the Italian parsley.
Serves 3. Two humans and a dog. Lucy gives it a four out of five paws.
