Archive for December, 2010
Basil and Parsley Pesto
Posted by: · Dec 30 2010 · Comments
I like to make a batch of pesto over the weekend and incorporate it into my lunches and dinners throughout the week. I make mine with parsley for a little added texture and flavor.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups packed basil
- 1 cup packed parsley
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions:
Combine basil, parsley, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and salt in a food processor. Mix for 1-2 minutes. While still mixing, add olive oil in a steady stream. Mix until incorporated. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to one week.
Rosemary and Garlic Lamb with Red Wine Sauce
Posted by: · Dec 29 2010 · Comments
Every time I make this dish my husband praises me for the delicious taste and what he believes to be long and arduous hours of cooking. What he doesn’t know is that I spend about ½ an hour of actual cooking time on this dish and dedicate the remainder of those arduous hours browsing Gilt Group.
Ingredients:
- ½ rack lamb
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1.5 cups red wine
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions:
Grind garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper with a mortar and pestle until ingredients are well incorporated. Using clean hands, rub this mixture all over the lamb. Place lamb on a roasting pan, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 400.
In a medium size sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until just translucent and soft. Add an additional tablespoon of butter followed by the mushrooms. Continue to sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine and bring to a slight boil. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl mix flour and remaining tablespoon of room temperature butter until a paste is formed. Whisk the paste into the sauce and continue stirring until sauce thickens.
Remove lamb from the refrigerator and cook at for 10 minutes or until a crispy crust forms. Using tin foil, tent the top of the lamb and continue to cook until a meat thermometer registers 130° in the thickest part of the rack. Cut the rack with a large sharp knife or a clever. Serve over rice and top with red wine sauce.
Poached Egg and Bacon Salad
Posted by: · Dec 21 2010 · Comments
I refer to this as my, “I don’t feel like cooking” meal. The egg adds richness to a plain and simple salad. You can also serve this as a starter; just serve one egg per salad rather than two.
Ingredients:
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons course Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ a clove minced garlic
Salad
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Mixed greens
- 5 slices bacon, cooked and diced
- 1 cup diced day old French bread
- Fontina cheese
Instructions:
Dressing
Combine ingredients in a small bowl, whisk and serve.
Salad
Pre-heat oven broiler. Combine bread crumbs, olive oil and a dash of salt in a bowl. Mix with hands until each piece of bread is coated with oil. Scatter bread on cookie sheet and broil until golden browned on all sides.
Poach eggs in boiling water and vinegar or in a poaching pan. Whatever method you prefer, just be sure to cook until the egg is still runny on the inside.
In a large bowl combine greens, croutons, bacon and fontina. Add 2 tablespoons of dressing to the greens, mix. Continue this process until greens are covered, but not saturated with dressing. Plate the salad and add 1 poached egg for a side salad and two for a main course.
Leek Soup
Posted by: · Dec 21 2010 · Comments
While eating out one night, my husband ordered leek soup. When the waiter placed the soup in front of him, he declared, “There is a leek in my bowl!” The waiter frantically stumbled before realizing the leek was not a leak and the joke was on him. Unfortunately, I hear this joke anytime I cook with leeks, but this soup is worth it.
Ingredients:
- 4 leeks, rinsed and trimmed
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons Vermouth
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ -1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Crème fraich
Instructions:
Cut the leeks horizontally into ¼ inch disks. Discard the white part of the leeks.
In a large stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat down if necessary. Stir in sugar and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add Vermouth and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in broth, cream and ½ teaspoon salt. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil. Once a boil is achieved, decrease heat to a low-simmer. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Pour mixture into a food processor and blend until leeks are completely incorporated. Return mixture to the stockpot over medium heat.
In a small bowl whisk 1 tablespoon room temperature butter and the flour into a paste. Ladle a small amount of the hot soup onto the paste and whisk. Now pour the contents of the bowl back into the stockpot. Stir until the soup has thickened and serve with a touch of crème fraich.
Homemade Pizza with Rosemary and Honey Crust
Posted by: · Dec 21 2010 · Comments
My in-laws keep bee’s so we have an abundance of wonderfully fresh honey. Despite the inevitable bee sting that my husband or chocolate lab endure during each visit to their home, the honey is delicious and adds a much needed sweetness to this pizza crust.
Ingredients:
Crust
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rosemary
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Touch of olive oil
Toppings
- Pesto, homemade or store bought
- I chicken breast, baked and diced
- 4 sliced tomatoes
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and diced
- 8 ounce block of mozzarella cheese, cut into ½ inch thick slices
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°.
Mix yeast and water in a small bowl. Allow to sit until yeast has dissolved fully into water.
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Incorporate yeast/water mixture until dough has formed. Place tough on floured surface and knead for +/- 5 minutes until dough is stretchy and smooth. Place dough in a thoroughly oiled bowl. Be certain to coat dough on all sides with oil. Cover dough with a kitchen towel and let stand for 1.5 hours in a draft free area.
Remove dough and divide into 2 balls. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out dough to ½ inch thick and top with pesto, bacon, chicken tomatoes and mozzarella. Cook until cheese starts to turn a golden hue and the crust browns. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Cut, serve and consume!
Grilled Rib Eye and Truffle Cheese
Posted by: · Dec 21 2010 · Comments
This is a perfect use for left over Truffle Cheese Spread…. the perfect marriage of steak and cheese.
Ingredients:
- 4 Rib eye steaks
- ½ cup Worchester sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons Truffle Cream Spread
Instructions:
Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat.
Lay out steaks in a shallow bowl. Combine Worchester sauce and soy sauce in a small bowl. Whisk and pour over steaks. Refrigerate steaks for 30 minutes. Remove steaks from marinade and grill for about 3-5 minutes per side.
Remove steaks from grill and top with one tablespoon of truffle cheese spread. Serve alongside grilled asparagus.
Truffle Cheese Spread
Posted by: · Dec 21 2010 · Comments
I created this recipe minutes before a dinner party when I realized I was short on appetizers. It is rich, creamy and sinfully good.
Ingredients:
- 2 packages cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped truffles or truffle pate
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 French baguette, cut into slices and toasted or broiled
Instructions:
Combine cream cheese, truffles, garlic and salt in a food processor. Pulse until truffles are well incorporated into cream cheese. Spoon cheese mixture into a serving bowl along bread for spreading.
Sautéed Baby Eggplant and Capers
Posted by: · Dec 16 2010 · Comments
This is a delightful side dish with great texture and color.
Ingredients:
- 2 baby eggplants cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Dash of kosher teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup Marsala cooking wine
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in non- stick skillet over med-high heat. Sauté eggplant for 5 minutes or until browned and softened. Add capers, salt and marsala. Whisk in mascarpone. Cook until wine is reduced by half. Serve immediately.
Sweet Potato Fries and Saffron Aioli
Posted by: · Dec 16 2010 · Comments
Ingredients:
Fries
- 4 sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1/8 inch disks
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Aioli
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons olive oil
Instructions:
Aioli: Mix saffron and olive oil in a small bowl and let sit for one hour. Combine garlic, egg, lemon juice, and mustard in a food processor. Mix on a slow speed while adding the saffron olive oil in a steady stream. Continue to mix until aioli thickens. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.
Fries: Turn oven broiler on. In a large bowl mix olive oil, salt and sugar. Add sweet potatoes and coat each disk with oil mixture. Place sweet potatoes on non-stick cookie sheet. Broil for 3 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Place sweet potatoes on paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve with saffron aioli.
Mustard and Shallot Chicken
Posted by: · Dec 16 2010 · Comments
I first made this dish my senior year of college for a girl’s dinner club. I remember shopping for the ingredients and thinking, “What the heck is a shallot?” Fortunately, my mother was a quick phone call away and directed me to the onion section. The dish was a hit then and remains to be one of my favorite quick and easy dinners.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups homemade bread crumbs
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Combine mustard, oil, salt and sugar. Pour this mixture into a Ziploc bag. Add chicken breast to the bag and coat each breast with the mustard mixture. Remove chicken and coat with bread crumbs. Be certain to firmly press the bread crumbs onto the chicken. Place chicken on non-stick baking pan. Cook for 12-15 minutes without flipping and serve.
