Adapted from Bon Appetit
So here's the deal. I replaced the tarragon with mint because i think it goes well with peas and asparagus, but do whatever you choose.
Ingredients
3/4 box of fusilli (spiral-shaped pasta)
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 bag of frozen peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel (save lemon to squeeze on dish later)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus sprigs for garnish (or mint)
1 4- to 5-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese
Preparation
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes longer.
While pasta and asparagus is boiling, boil the peas separately till tender (about 5-7 minutes).
Meanwhile, combine oil, lemon peel, and chopped tarragon (or mint) in large bowl. Coarsely crumble in goat cheese.
Drain pasta and asparagus, and peas, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid from the pasta. Add hot pasta, asparagus, peas and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid to bowl with cheese mixture. Toss to coat, adding more reserved liquid if dry (I found that 3/4 cup worked best for me...just test it.) Season pasta liberally with salt and pepper to your taste. Squeeze the lemon on the pasta and toss, also to your taste. Transfer to shallow platter.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Flour Tortillas
Adapted from Saveur Cooks Authentic American, via Orangette
Since I was only cooking for two, i halved this recipe and got nine tortillas but could have definitely squeezed 10 out of the dough.
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp salt
6 Tbs vegetable shortening (I went with Crisco, but do what you will)
In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil.
In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together with a whisk. Mix in the shortening with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in enough boiling water (about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups) that the dough holds together; you will want to begin by stirring with a spoon, but you need to finish by kneading the dough with your hands.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, 2-5 minutes, but no more. It should be mildly went, and easy to manage. Form the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Set a well-seasoned skillet over medium heat. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 6 wedges. Cut each wedge into 3 smaller wedges, for a total of 18 wedges. Use a rolling pin to roll out a wedge into a very thin circle—as thin as you can make it, like a sheet of fabric—the size of any tortilla you would normally eat a taco out of. When the skillet is hot, cook the tortilla until slightly puffed, about 20-30 seconds. Flip, then cook for 20-30 seconds more, or until flecked with golden or brown (whichever you prefer) spots. Remove to a plate. Repeat the process with the other 17 wedges. Stack away, and have some of the easiest, best-tasting tortillas in your life.
With a hefty side of self-pride, I might add.
Since I was only cooking for two, i halved this recipe and got nine tortillas but could have definitely squeezed 10 out of the dough.
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp salt
6 Tbs vegetable shortening (I went with Crisco, but do what you will)
In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil.
In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together with a whisk. Mix in the shortening with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in enough boiling water (about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups) that the dough holds together; you will want to begin by stirring with a spoon, but you need to finish by kneading the dough with your hands.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, 2-5 minutes, but no more. It should be mildly went, and easy to manage. Form the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Set a well-seasoned skillet over medium heat. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 6 wedges. Cut each wedge into 3 smaller wedges, for a total of 18 wedges. Use a rolling pin to roll out a wedge into a very thin circle—as thin as you can make it, like a sheet of fabric—the size of any tortilla you would normally eat a taco out of. When the skillet is hot, cook the tortilla until slightly puffed, about 20-30 seconds. Flip, then cook for 20-30 seconds more, or until flecked with golden or brown (whichever you prefer) spots. Remove to a plate. Repeat the process with the other 17 wedges. Stack away, and have some of the easiest, best-tasting tortillas in your life.
With a hefty side of self-pride, I might add.
Mexican Seafood Saute with Avocado-Mango Salsa
Courtesy of Bon Appetit
So, i know this is called "Seafood Saute" but I just made this with shrimp since my grocery store was plumb out of scallops. but scallops would rock this dish too, and do what you will! It's your taco after all.
Ingredients for the Salsa
1 mango, peeled, pitted, diced (about 1.5 cups)
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
1 large shallot, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
one lime's worth of juice (and more if you want, like I did, because I adore lime)
Ingredients for Seafood Taco
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 medium shallots)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup tequila (we omitted this because I didn't feel like spending the cash and it was STILL amazing, but your choice)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1.5 pounds uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined (so for the 2 of us, we used a little less than 3/4 of a pound, and was plenty...totally up to you)
1 pound sea scallops, side muscles removed (totally optional, but it would be fun to try it next time)
12 green onions, thinly sliced
For Salsa: Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Cover and chill.
For Seafood Saute: Whisk first 5 ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup oliv oil. Season marinade to taste with salt and pepper.
Place shrimp in large resealable plastic bag. Place scallops (if you choose to make this too) in another large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade into bags, dividing equally (about 1/2 cup each). Seal bags, turn to coat. Chill at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Drain shrimp and scallops, reserving the marinade. Pat scallops dry. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops to skillet and saute until beginning to brown, about 1.5 minutes per side. Transfer to large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Add shrimip and green onions, saute until shrimp are almost opaque in the center, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Return scallops with any accumulated juices to skillet. Add the reserved marinade and simmer until seafood is cooked through and the mixture is thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large shallow bowl, garnish with lime slices if you want to be fancy about it. Serve with the mango salsa.
Like I said, you don't need to make the scallops, and it will completely cut your time and effort in half. The shrimp alone are super amazing with this recipe.
So, i know this is called "Seafood Saute" but I just made this with shrimp since my grocery store was plumb out of scallops. but scallops would rock this dish too, and do what you will! It's your taco after all.
Ingredients for the Salsa
1 mango, peeled, pitted, diced (about 1.5 cups)
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
1 large shallot, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
one lime's worth of juice (and more if you want, like I did, because I adore lime)
Ingredients for Seafood Taco
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 medium shallots)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup tequila (we omitted this because I didn't feel like spending the cash and it was STILL amazing, but your choice)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1.5 pounds uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined (so for the 2 of us, we used a little less than 3/4 of a pound, and was plenty...totally up to you)
1 pound sea scallops, side muscles removed (totally optional, but it would be fun to try it next time)
12 green onions, thinly sliced
For Salsa: Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Cover and chill.
For Seafood Saute: Whisk first 5 ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup oliv oil. Season marinade to taste with salt and pepper.
Place shrimp in large resealable plastic bag. Place scallops (if you choose to make this too) in another large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade into bags, dividing equally (about 1/2 cup each). Seal bags, turn to coat. Chill at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Drain shrimp and scallops, reserving the marinade. Pat scallops dry. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops to skillet and saute until beginning to brown, about 1.5 minutes per side. Transfer to large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Add shrimip and green onions, saute until shrimp are almost opaque in the center, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Return scallops with any accumulated juices to skillet. Add the reserved marinade and simmer until seafood is cooked through and the mixture is thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large shallow bowl, garnish with lime slices if you want to be fancy about it. Serve with the mango salsa.
Like I said, you don't need to make the scallops, and it will completely cut your time and effort in half. The shrimp alone are super amazing with this recipe.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Harris Ranch's Pecan Drops
Makes 3 dozen cookies
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg whites (3 to 4 large egg whites)
1 1/2 pounds coarsely chopped pecan pieces (you can do this by hand which takes a while, or mash them with something heavy, or buy pre-chopped or zazz them up in the food processor. So many options!)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl combine the brown sugar, salt, vanilla and pecan pieces. With a hand-mixer or your trusty Kitchen-Aid mixer(thanks Mom and Dad!) beat on low speed to incorporate the ingredients, then drizzle in the egg whites. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Drop the dough in rounded tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. If the cookies aren't holding together well, you might need to beat in an extra egg white. I'd start with three, then add the fourth if your batter needs it to hold together.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately remove the cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack or plate. The cookies will be soft but will firm up as they cool.
Try not to devour all of them at once. Also, this is a good way to get your coworkers to think you are a culinary genius. Tricky, tricky.
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg whites (3 to 4 large egg whites)
1 1/2 pounds coarsely chopped pecan pieces (you can do this by hand which takes a while, or mash them with something heavy, or buy pre-chopped or zazz them up in the food processor. So many options!)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl combine the brown sugar, salt, vanilla and pecan pieces. With a hand-mixer or your trusty Kitchen-Aid mixer(thanks Mom and Dad!) beat on low speed to incorporate the ingredients, then drizzle in the egg whites. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Drop the dough in rounded tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. If the cookies aren't holding together well, you might need to beat in an extra egg white. I'd start with three, then add the fourth if your batter needs it to hold together.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately remove the cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack or plate. The cookies will be soft but will firm up as they cool.
Try not to devour all of them at once. Also, this is a good way to get your coworkers to think you are a culinary genius. Tricky, tricky.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Panzanella
Adapted from Ina Garten on the Barefoot Contessa show (via Food Network)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Half a french baguette, torn into chunks (about 5-6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 red onion,thinly sliced
Handful of basil, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
For Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar (I typically use Red Wine Vinegar, but Ina's recipe calls for Champagne)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed, and some fresh cracked pepper to your tasting.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside. I personally like to use a little jar to add all dressing ingredients then shake the life out of it. It keeps everything contained and its easy.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the toasted bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Half a french baguette, torn into chunks (about 5-6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 red onion,thinly sliced
Handful of basil, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
For Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar (I typically use Red Wine Vinegar, but Ina's recipe calls for Champagne)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed, and some fresh cracked pepper to your tasting.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside. I personally like to use a little jar to add all dressing ingredients then shake the life out of it. It keeps everything contained and its easy.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the toasted bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Savoy Cabbage Gratin
Adapted from Orangette and Molly Stevens book, All About Braising
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Savoy cabbage, quartered, cored, and sliced into ½-inch-wide shreds
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced into ½-inch-wide pieces (I actually used a yellow onion here as I had no green onions on hand...worked just fine)
Kosher salt
1 ¾ cups good chicken stock
1 ripe Saint-Marcellin cheese (again...I just used a good-sized mixture of Parmesan and Havarti which was fantastic)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a large (roughly 10”x 14”) gratin dish, or another dish of similar size.
Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and onion/scallions, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted and just beginning to brown, which takes anywhere from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
Transfer everything in the pot into the prepared gratin dish. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes (this is where the braising comes in). Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 20 minutes more. Then remove the dish from the oven. Cut the cheese into small lumps and scatter it over the cabbage. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F, return the dish to the oven, and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted and/or bubbling, about 10 minutes.
You can serve this as a side dish but i say grab some bread and a glass of wine, and call it a day.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Savoy cabbage, quartered, cored, and sliced into ½-inch-wide shreds
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced into ½-inch-wide pieces (I actually used a yellow onion here as I had no green onions on hand...worked just fine)
Kosher salt
1 ¾ cups good chicken stock
1 ripe Saint-Marcellin cheese (again...I just used a good-sized mixture of Parmesan and Havarti which was fantastic)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a large (roughly 10”x 14”) gratin dish, or another dish of similar size.
Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and onion/scallions, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted and just beginning to brown, which takes anywhere from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
Transfer everything in the pot into the prepared gratin dish. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes (this is where the braising comes in). Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 20 minutes more. Then remove the dish from the oven. Cut the cheese into small lumps and scatter it over the cabbage. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F, return the dish to the oven, and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted and/or bubbling, about 10 minutes.
You can serve this as a side dish but i say grab some bread and a glass of wine, and call it a day.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Lassi
Here is the simple and basic recipe that my mom and G-ma have made for decades (and probably decades before that, but that's back in the old country and I just have to guesstimate how long they've been making this for).
Ingredients:
Tub of yogurt (like I said, I use low-fat or whole-milk, but if you just LOVE fat-free yogurt, go for it.)
Sugar
Ice Cubes
A cup and a half of yogurt, plus a handful of ice cubes and a couple tablespoons of sugar are all blended together and should fill a very tall glass, or two small glasses if you're going to be meek about it. Which is silly, because there is nothing meek about the awesomeness of this drink. You just multiply the quantities for the amount of lassi you want, and, if you so choose, add some mango nectar and go crazy. YUM. As a side note, you might need a small splash of milk or water to make it a bit frothier and drinkable, but just play it by ear and taste.
Ingredients:
Tub of yogurt (like I said, I use low-fat or whole-milk, but if you just LOVE fat-free yogurt, go for it.)
Sugar
Ice Cubes
A cup and a half of yogurt, plus a handful of ice cubes and a couple tablespoons of sugar are all blended together and should fill a very tall glass, or two small glasses if you're going to be meek about it. Which is silly, because there is nothing meek about the awesomeness of this drink. You just multiply the quantities for the amount of lassi you want, and, if you so choose, add some mango nectar and go crazy. YUM. As a side note, you might need a small splash of milk or water to make it a bit frothier and drinkable, but just play it by ear and taste.
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