tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339778977291602362024-03-05T06:28:02.737-05:00New England FoodieJeanneandTonyGoToFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16359460036761810872noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-62780506784772104952016-01-02T16:54:00.000-05:002016-02-06T12:00:47.712-05:00Now exclusively on Facebook!Please "like" us on Facebook. Search "New England Foodie" and see all the latest posts!Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02231437082803818468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-71547381540620590452013-05-03T12:12:00.000-04:002013-05-03T12:12:31.578-04:00Vegetable and Crepe Terrine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Crepes are one of those things that can be a dessert served in all kinds of ways from a Crepe Suzette which are crepes cooked in an orange-butter sauce then flamed with Grand Marnier to one filled with jellies and topped with whipped cream to ones filled with fresh berries and drizzled with chocolate sauce and a garnish of fresh mint. It can also be used in savory dishes... think of it as a pasta. I have filled crepes with a ricotta and egg mixture flavored with basil, fold it like a book and layer a few near each other in a baking dish, spoon on some tomato sauce and Parmesan then bake it for 15 minutes or so....... cut cooked crepes into fettuccine shapes and toss it with fresh summer tomatoes and herbs and a vinaigrette for a twist on a salad. Crepes are as easy as making a pancake batter (crepes are pancakes in France).<br />
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Here, I was thinking of a lasagna but I called it a terrine because it sounds more french! You can make this with whatever you like, as long as each component in delicious on its own and they all work with each other, the final dish will be delicious!<br />
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Obviously you want to make all the components and have them ready then they will be layered in a baking pan. I used a spring form pan that is 7 inchs in diameter because it was just the two of us but if you want to make a bigger one you may need to double the crepe recipe.<br />
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To make the crepes mix together in a blender or just with a whisk<br />
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1/2 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/4 cup lukewarm water<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
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Let this mixture sit at least 30 minutes so the flour is fully absorbed by the liquid.<br />
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Note: if you are using this crepe recipe for a dessert only use a pinch of salt in place of 1/2 tsp and add 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar to the mix<br />
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Use a non-stick skillet to make the crepes; heat over medium high heat and a bit of butter to just coat the pan; pour in some batter and quickly turn the pan so the batter forms a thin layer; cook on the one side for a minute or two then flip to cook the other side for a minute or until both sides are lightly browned ( I use a rubber spatula to flip the crepes); continue to cook the rest of the batter.<br />
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Place a crepe in the bottom of your pan and line the sides, leaving some of the crepe hanging over so when you fill it you can bring the crepe pieces up and over. See what I mean....<br />
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I had 2 layers of roasted whole tomatoes (cut the canned tomatoes in half and place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic); a layer of sauteed spinach with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic; a layer of Shiitaki mushrooms that I sauteed with butter, salt, pepper and fresh thyme deglazed with Madeira wine; a few strips of roasted red pepper right from the jar. I combined 4 oz of fresh ricotta cheese with 1 egg a pinch of salt and pepper and layered with the vegetables to give a creaminess to the final dish.<br />
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Remember you can use whatever you want I layered it with color in mind...tomatoes first then ricotta then a crepe then spinach then ricotta then crepe then roasted red pepper then ricotta then crepe then mushrooms then ricotta then crepe the tomatoes again then ricotta. I just covered with a crepe on the top and brought the extra crepe pieces up, these pieces get nice and crisp in the oven.<br />
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Let it sit for an hour or so and then remove it from the pan. Cut a wedge and serve it as an appetizer or have it for lunch..<br />
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<br />Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-6987667783262089272013-03-23T17:21:00.000-04:002013-03-23T17:21:33.063-04:00Homemade pasta test...I decided to do a test on making fresh pasta with two different flours; Durum Wheat Semolina and Typo "OO". I usually use All purpose flour and its always good but I knew it could be even better. I have always liked the job of making pasta because your sipping on a glass of wine (that's a rule when making fresh pasta) and watching a cooking show or listening to some music... I think it's fun. It's really not complicated, it's two ingredients....flour and eggs. The conclusion was that we liked the Durum Wheat Semolina better. It has a better texture and more flavor. I can imagine the fine texture from the OO flour would be awesome as a ravioli that has a creamy or soft filling. The Durum Wheat was perfect for a fettuccine shape, it has that al dente quality. <br />
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<span id="goog_1575140343"></span><span id="goog_1575140344"></span>Here are the two flours...the one on the left has a super fine texture (the softest flour you ever felt) and the one on the right is almost the texture of fine cornmeal. I put about a cup or a little more of the flour on the butcher block and made a "well" in the center; add 2 large room temperature eggs to the "well" and using a fork start to break up the eggs and slowly incorporate the flour; you also need a bench scraper to help release the egg and flour from the board as you add more flour; start to knead by hand adding enough flour so your hands aren't sticking to the dough but be careful not to add too much flour; keep kneading for about 6 -7 minutes (the longer the better); dust the finished dough with a little of the flour and wrap in plastic; do the same for the other flour and let the two dough's rest on the counter for about 30 minutes; roll out the pasta to the finest setting and leave the pasta sheets on kitchen towels to dry for about 10 minutes; fold each sheet a few times and cut into fettuccine or linquini shapes (if you are using the cutting attachment on the pasta machine I would cut it into the finished shape right away instead of letting it dry for 10 minutes, I like cutting it with a knife)</div>
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Here is the pasta after I cut each into strips and I just have them sitting here while we wait for dinner time.</div>
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They didn't sit any longer that an hour or so; boil them in salted water for only 3 minutes (separately of course) add the pasta to the sauce (below) to "marry" the pasta and sauce together.</div>
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I was feeling creative so I made a new sauce which was sliced Shiitaki mushrooms and shallots cooked in butter and a splash of olive oil until nicely browned then add a splash of Mederia wine; reduce; add some pasta sauce ( I had some left over) then finish with a splash of cream and let that reduce; season to taste.</div>
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Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-29074105176166330932013-03-18T14:24:00.000-04:002013-03-18T14:24:58.273-04:00Easy vegetarian pot stickers and much more...<br />
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Vegetarian Pot Stickers</div>
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I brought these to friends house as an appetizer and they were a big hit. <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ming-tsai/vegetarian-pot-stickers-recipe/index.html">Here is the recipe</a>, it's a Ming Tsai recipe.</div>
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Radishes with Fleur De Sel</div>
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This is only two ingredients but I thought this was such a good little snack I had to share...</div>
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Salmon Poached in Olive Oil</div>
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I placed two portions of salmon in two individual small baking dishes and poured olive oil in each one so it just covers the salmon and zest from an orange to flavor. Place in a 250 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes. It's surprising that it cooks through it such a short time with such a low temperature but it comes out very tender and rich tasting. Season it with fleur de sel and serve with a wedge of lemon on the side. I served a guacamole salad and yellow beets stacked with goat cheese with this.</div>
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Homemade Pasta</div>
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I usually make fresh pasta by scooping flour onto the counter and forming the "well" in the center then cracking eggs in the "well" ...whisking the eggs with a fork.... incorporating the flour....kneading for 10 minutes...and so on. I will continue to do it this way because I love it but for a change I tried something new. I was watching America's Test Kitchen and they did it with the food processor and it was quick and easy and delicious. In the food processor with the blade attachment add 2 cups of all purpose flour; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 2 eggs; 6 yolks; process for 45 seconds and remove the pasta dough to a board; knead to bring it together for a second and form a 6 inch log; wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it for 4 hours; this is where I did my own thing by using my pasta attachment from my Kitchen Aid mixer to roll it out thinly; lay out the pasta sheets for 10 minutes on kitchen towels then cut pasta into 1/4 inch strips; I do that by rolling it up and just slicing through it with a chef's knife into desired thickness; the recipe they did was for people who wanted to make pasta without the attachment I have and so they used a rolling pin then sliced it.</div>
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America's Test Kitchen made a bolognese sauce to go along with the fresh pasta. It looked very good but I wanted to make it more of a vegetarian bolognese and I had an eggplant that I thought I'd use in place of meat. I diced the eggplant and cooked it with a pinch of salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a deep large skillet with olive oil for about 20 minutes; I had some prosuitto in the frig so I diced up about 4-5 slices and added that ( I said it was kind-of vegetarian); add a bay leaf; add 1 onion 1 celery stick and 1 carrot (that's been diced and then pulsed in the food processor 10 times to bread it down nicely) and a pinch of salt; add 2-3 Tbsp of tomato paste; cook these for about 5-10 minutes, you want the tomato paste to darken and the onions, celery and carrots to cook down; add a splash of red wine and a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes and a pinch of salt; cut the tomatoes in half if you like and just simmer for an hour or two until you taste it and it's good. I served this over the pasta. </div>
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To cook the fresh pasta it only takes about 3 minutes in plenty of salted boiling water. See the finished dish below.</div>
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Leeks Vinaigrette<br />
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My husband recently downloaded "Ruhlman's Twenty" onto our Kindle Fire. This is a book on the 20 techniques everyone should master in the kitchen. This was one of the recipes in the "Vinaigrette" chapter. Ruhlman had me at..."it's a great bistro dish"... <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/lifeathome/cooking-at-home-ruhlman/9472/">Here is the recipe.</a></div>
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Steak Au Poivre with Celeriac Puree and Creamed Corn</div>
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I recently saw Jacques Pepin talking about cuts of meat. He took a strip steak and cut it in half to get two (filet mignon sized) pieces; pressed it down to flatten it slightly and he said "this is for steak au poivre".... he made one so I did too. Sprinkle each side with coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste (I probably used about a tablespoon and a half of black peppercorns for 2 portions (1 strip steak). I did this about 2 hours early then about 45 minutes before cooking I let it come to room temperature. Sear in a skillet on each side until its cooked like you like and keep it warm while you make a pan sauce; to the skillet add a shallot that's minced, cook it for a couple minutes then add a splash of Cognac (be careful it will flame up), let that reduce and add a splash of beef or chicken stock, boil for a minute then add some butter to swirl in (this will add a certain thickness, shine and flavor to the sauce); add the steak back into the sauce along with any drippings; serve over celeriac puree and creamed corn (below)</div>
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For the celeriac puree... It's a root vegetable, you peel, chop and boil like potatoes until tender; drain and add milk and butter to flavor; mash it or use an immersion blender to get a creamy texture; season with salt and pepper. I added a little more flavor by heating up the milk first with a couple fresh bay leafs, turn off the heat and let it sit covered for about 20 minutes, it's like tea, it will infuse flavor into the milk.</div>
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For the creamed corn I cut the kernels off three cobs; heat a skillet with a Tbsp of butter and add a chopped shallot to the pan; cook it for a few minutes then add the corn and cook it in the butter for 3-5 minutes; pour in some heavy cream and let it reduce down and coat the kernels; season with salt and pepper.</div>
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Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter</div>
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This was another recipe from the "Ruhlman's Twenty" book. This one is in the "roasting" chapter. You preheat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare the whole cauliflower by trimming the bottom and removing the leaves; brush a Tbsp of canola oil all over the cauliflower, place it in a baking dish or oven proof skillet and roast for 45 minutes; remove the cauliflower from the oven and brush with 6 Tbsp of room temperature butter; sprinkle with a three-finger pinch of salt and return to the oven; roast for another 30 minutes, basting with the butter a couple times; it should be browned (as you see above) and a knife inserted should feel tender; slice and serve. This is very tasty, I can't imagine someone not liking this. It's buttery and delicious!</div>
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Mustard Seed Pork Chops, Allspice and Star Anise Mashed Potato and Brocolette</div>
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In the mortar and pestle I bashed up 2 garlic cloves with salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper and dry thyme, drizzled in some olive oil (enough to coat the two pork chops) and rubbed it all over the chops then I sprinkled on mustard seeds and let that sit in the frig for a few hours until dinner time. I browned them in my cast iron skillet and put the whole pan in a 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until they are just cooked through (about 160 degrees) and let them sit for 5-10 minutes (covered with aluminum foil) and let the carry-over-cooking take it up to 165 degrees internally. </div>
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For the potatoes, cook them as you would make mashed potatoes but infuse the milk with flavor... I poured into a saucepan maybe a cup of milk (depends how much you're making) and added a whole star anise along with about 6-8 whole allspice berries, turn to med-high and when the milk starts to simmer turn off the heat and cover it for about 15-20 minutes; when the potatoes are cooked through alternate cold butter with the hot flavored milk (that you've strained) until they are creamy delicious; season with salt and pepper of course; you will be surprised at the amount of flavor you get when you do this! You can flavor the milk with any flavor you want, I did this with a bay leaf in the celeriac puree (from this post) and its quite good.</div>
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For the broccolette I blanched them first in salted boiling water until they were tender; remove to a plate and let cool until you are ready; when ready to finish cooking soften some onions if you like in a skillet with butter then toss to coat the broccolette with the butter, warm through then season to taste with salt and pepper</div>
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Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragu and Eggplant Charlotte </div>
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After our trip to Florida during a snow storm up in New England our friends took care of us and shoveled our driveway so I had to return the favor and make them dinner; I also was dying to make some kind of fresh pasta after going to what could be a new favorite restaurant in Naples called <a href="http://www.tulianaples.com/">Osteria Tulia;</a> I figured I'd make ricotta gnocchi so it's 8 oz of whole milk ricotta that you strain overnight to remove any excess liquid; the next day you mix the strained ricotta with 2 eggs, the zest of 1 lemon, salt, pepper and about 1 cup of flour; first mix all ingredients in a bowl holding off on some of the flour and when it comes together remove the mixture to a board and knead, adding more flour if needed; it should be soft but not sticky ( the more you work the dough the tougher it will get and the more flour you incorporate the heavier it will get so be careful); Using a pastry scraper cut off a small piece and roll into a long 1/2 inch thick snake; cut 1/2 inch pieces and either roll the pieces on the back of a fork to make the typical gnocchi grooves or leave just like they are and place on a flour-dusted cookie sheet; when you fill the cookie sheet freeze for an hour or two then remove them to a freezer bag; when you are ready to cook them just cook them in salted boiling water for about 3-4 minutes; remove to the sauce and cook them in whatever sauce you made.</div>
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For the short rib ragu I used my pressure cooker and I basically seasoned then browned the meat first and remove to a plate; add chopped onion, chopped carrots and minced garlic to the same pan and cook for 5 minutes add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, 2-3 cups of red wine; let the red wine cook down to about 1/2 then add the meat back in and a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes with the juices; in the pressure cooker this only took about 30 minutes and the meat was super tender; let it cool a bit and shred the meat; remove the fat from the liquid that remains and strain the liquid; the strained liquid and the meat are combined and there you have it. I made a regular tomato sauce too so when I heated up the ragu later I added a ladle or two of the regular tomato sauce to it. </div>
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For the eggplant charlotte it's Laura Calder's recipe and<a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/aubergine-and-cumin-charlottes-with-tomato-and-coriander-salad.html"> here it is..</a> I didn't add the cumin...FYI..<br />
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Key Lime Pie</div>
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Well I had to make this after our Florida trip to act like we were still there... It's a graham cracker crust which is <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/graham-cracker-crust-i/">here</a>. The filling is so easy you mix a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk, 5 egg yolks and 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice (I have used either regular limes and key limes and I think they taste the same), you whisk the three ingredients together well and pour into the pre-baked and cooled pie shell; bake at 375 for 15 minutes; let it cool then whip some cream and dollop it on the top; serve chilled; Yummm!!</div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-58199165960335215632013-02-12T10:11:00.000-05:002013-02-12T10:11:59.842-05:00Blizzard 2013 food and Mom's birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mom's Birthday Cake</div>
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Mom loves chocolate and creamy things so I combined them. She is also trying to stay away from gluten so this is a flour-less chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and whipped cream between the layers. I topped it with a smooth layer of chocolate ganache. Here is the <a href="http://njbrown.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/flourless-chocolate-roulade-foolproof-buche-de-noel/">cake recipe</a>. It's Jacques Pepin's chocolate roulade cake recipe but I cut it into long rectangles instead of the roll. I have made the roulade many times but this time I imagined it this way, stacked high... I just whipped some heavy cream with vanilla and sugar ( use either confectioners sugar or granulated they both work). I thought to keep the weight of the cake from smooching out all the cream you need something solid to keep it straight and high so that's where the raspberries came in (maybe 10 raspberries in each layer spaced evenly, especially on the edges). Chocolate ganache is just heavy cream heated to just under the boil then chopped chocolate ( bittersweet is the best) added and stirred until it melts in. Depending on how thick you want it is how much the chocolate to cream ratio is...usually it's equal amount like 4 oz each for this cake.</div>
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Spinach and Artichoke Dip</div>
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This is NOT the way you would usually get it in a restaurant, it's my "healthy" version. You usually will get this loaded with cheese and mayonnaise and who knows what else is in it and what you thought was a healthy choice may not be. I chopped 3 small leeks or about 1 big fat one into 1/4 inch slices (white and light green parts only), soften in a skillet with about a Tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes; wash and chop a bunch of spinach and add that to the skillet with the leeks (don't worry if the spinach is still wet it needs that liquid); season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the spinach is tender and most of the liquid is cooked away about 5-10 minutes more; add the spinach mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times; add artichokes (I added almost a whole can of drained artichokes but add as much as you like depending on the amount of spinach you have); add about 1-2 Tbsp of full fat sour cream and pulse; the consistency should be smooth but with little pieces of artichokes, not like baby food; chop some scallions and stir them in if you like and season with salt and pepper to taste. I topped it with some Panko bread crumbs moistened with a little olive oil then put it into a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until the top looks browned. I served this with blue corn chips. I didn't miss the extra fat...</div>
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Salmon and Vegetable Salad with Creme Fraiche and Dill Dressing</div>
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I started with shiitaki mushrooms, cut them into large pieces and cooked them over high heat, season with salt and remove to a large bowl; chopped some leeks and cooked them for a minute in olive oil, add sliced fennel to the leeks and cook for a few minutes; add snow peas and cook for an additional minute, remove to the bowl with the shiitaki; sear a piece of salmon (4-or so oz per person); when it's cooked let it rest for 5 minutes and break it up into big bite sized pieces and add it to the bowl with the vegetables; I found this green at Whole Foods called Tat Soi and it says that its used in oriental cooking in stir fries and such; I put that on the bottom of the plate as the "bed" for the salmon salad; I made a little dressing for the salad by combining a couple tablespoons of creme fraiche and a bit of lemon juice, some chopped fresh dill and salt and pepper to taste; spoon some of the dressing into the bowl and toss to combine, add to the bed of greens and spoon some more dressing around...Yummy<br />
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My Famous Turkey and Mushroom Burger with Naples Potatoes</div>
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One day I made this recipe up and it has become a favorite for us and our fellow Naples Florida and Massachusetts neighbors (Lisa and John). I have blogged about this before but I'll tell ya again in case you missed it. I finely chop a package of Bella mushrooms and mince a shallot; heat a non stick skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat and add the shallots and mushrooms together; cook over med-high heat tossing so it all cooks evenly; season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme; continue to cook until the mushrooms start to turn brown but not dried out; cool the mushroom mixture then add it to 1/2 pound of dark turkey meat; season with salt and pepper and form into patties; cook through either on the grill or in a skillet; top it any way you like but here I did some caramelized onions, Boucheron cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato.</div>
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For the Naples Potatoes I call them that because I made them for the first time in Naples and our friend came to dinner that night, they have been made many times since. It's just Yukon Gold potatoes that you can peel or not and cut into bite sized pieces; boil in salted water until just about done (don't cook them too long or they will start to break apart but you want a knife to go in easily); drain and drop them onto a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat; roast at 400 degrees until browned and crispy edges which will take about 40 minutes. </div>
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Shiitaki , Baby Bella and Stilton Galette </div>
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Make or buy a pie crust and have ready while you make the filling. To make the filling chop the white and light green parts of 1 or 2 leeks depending on the size; cook in a skillet with a tsp of olive oil over medium heat just to soften then remove to a bowl; wipe out the skillet and put it back over the heat on medium high; add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and once hot add a whole bunch of sliced mushrooms ( I sliced into 1/4 inch pieces a small package of Bella mushrooms and a good cup and a half or so of Shiitaki mushrooms); cook mushrooms until they wilt down, add a pinch of salt and then allow any liquid to evaporate, this will take 5-8 minutes; remove and add to the bowl with the leeks; I added a couple Tbsp of Greek yogurt but if you have it add sour cream or creme fraiche, stir together to combine all ingredients; roll out the pastry dough and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment or a Silpat liner; put half of the mushroom filling in the center and spread it out to about 1 1/2 inches from the edges (start with a 14 inch round give or take); drop about 2-3 Tbsp of Stilton cheese (or your favorite blue cheese) in chunks on the filling; layer the rest of the filling over the cheese and top with another 2-3 Tbsp of Stilton; fold the edges of the crust over the filling leaving the filling exposed in the center; brush egg wash on the edges of the crust so it browns nicely; place in the lower third of a preheated 400 degree oven and turn the heat down to 375, cook for 45 minutes. Oh boy is this good!!</div>
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Blizzard Ham and Cheese Panini</div>
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During the blizzard of 2013 I had stocked the frig with lots of things to get us through the 2-3 days we'd be trapped in our house ( I was hoping we wouldn't lose electricity and thankfully we didn't). This is a Hogie bun I got at Whole Foods and its got ham, american cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato pressed in a panini press and served with Salt and Pepper Kettle brand Krinkle Cut chips.</div>
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Blizzard Burrata Cheese with Tomato and Basil Salad</div>
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If you haven't tried Burrata Cheese you must! It's a very soft cream filled mozzarella ball that explodes with yum! I chopped a tomato with fresh basil, olive oil a bit of sherry vinegar and salt and pepper. I served a couple slices of sourdough bread along side and it was a delicious first course.</div>
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Blizzard Flank Steak </div>
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As I said above I got ingredients for the blizzard and some things without knowing exactly what I would do with them. I got this flank steak, tomatoes, Kalamata olives among other things. The next morning I happened to be flipping through a Bon Appitit magazine from June 2012 and this recipe was on one of the pages..."grilled flatiron steaks with tomatoes and tapenade"... so I had to make it, <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/06/grilled-flatiron-steaks-with-tomatoes-and-tapenade">here it is.</a> I used a cast iron skillet because of the blizzard and it was really good.</div>
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Red Bliss Potato Salad with Onion and Red Peppers</div>
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Boil the potatoes whole until tender and set aside to cool for a second. Meanwhile heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and toss in sliced onion and slice red pepper (about 1/2 of each). Cook for a couple minutes to soften over medium high heat; lower the heat and add about 2 Tbsp of mustard, 2 or 3 Tbsp of Sherry vinegar, about a tablespoon of honey, whisk in a little more olive oil, salt an pepper; taste for seasoning; slice the potatoes and layer in a serving dish with the onion and pepper mixture; season each layer with salt and pepper and fresh basil.</div>
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Blizzard Chicken Wings</div>
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I got some chicken wings and tossed them in a bowl with a mixture of soy sauce, mustard, honey, 2-3 garlic cloves chopped small and a thumb sized piece of ginger chopped small; Toss to coat and heat a sheet pan in a 400 degree oven until the oven is up to temperature; Drop the chicken on the hot pan in one layer and cook tossing once or twice during cooking for 45 minutes. The sauce was sour cream with a dollop of Dijon mustard a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper and crumble in some blue cheese.</div>
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Blizzard Coconut and Banana Smoothies</div>
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I have been making smoothies in the morning for breakfast and lately I put in a spoon of coconut oil. It's amazing how much coconut flavor comes from a tablespoon of the oil so I had the idea of making my banana ice cream with the addition of the coconut oil for flavor. I mixed almond milk (just enough to get the blender going) with frozen banana slices (maybe 1-2 bananas depending how much your making), a couple tablespoons of coconut oil, vanilla and blend. It was supposed to be ice cream but I had to add more almond milk and it came out like a smoothie. I toasted some coconut flakes to garnish the top. It tastes sinful but its not!!!</div>
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Jeanne's Almond Crust Tart with Creme Patissiere </div>
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I saw someone making their pie crust one day on a wooden cutting board using a pastry scraper as the "pastry blender". I made a small amount of pie crust the regular way but on the board with flour, butter, salt, sugar and heavy cream instead of ice water ( I was making just enough for 2 small desserts and it worked out perfectly and it was easy and delicious. I thought later on that I should try this same idea but with almond flour so I did and it worked perfectly, with a nice nutty and buttery flavor and no white flour and only a pinch of sugar per dessert. I made a larger amount to bring to a friends and it was enough for 6- 3 1/2 inch mini tart pans; I mixed 1 1/2 cups almond flour on the board with a pinch of fleur de sel, 1/2 Tbsp of sugar, 6 Tablespoons of cold butter, chop with pastry scraper until the butter and the flour start to come together and you can see the butter brakes down into small bits and it looks like rocky sand, sprinkle in a tablespoon at a time some heavy cream mixing it with the pastry scraper, when you can squeeze together a small about and it just holds together it's done. Press into mini tart pans and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges start to brown. I made a pastry cream by whisking in a bowl 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk, 4 tsp corn starch, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla; heat 1 cup of half and half just to a boil and pour it into the egg mixture while whisking and then pour the mixture back into the saucepan and whisk over medium heat and bring it to a boil to thicken, remove to a bowl to cool or at least 15 minutes or chill until ready, fill the cooled almond crust with cooled pastry cream and top with sliced strawberries.</div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-36377825325340615772013-01-28T13:26:00.002-05:002013-01-28T13:26:36.505-05:00A fried soft boiled egg? What???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsIsuaBEFwuYxf-y-bGTZ8NgC1oLNcRiz4EiFIBVCqezmQ06Or3XcZV8YoeX42v6F1e_Hm11V2pIKrOyYgpj3ChGgk06b7J7z-adcDxLY_qi5-7a75z8odulgO8t0roV6TNZxOv09zw/s1600/IMAG1017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsIsuaBEFwuYxf-y-bGTZ8NgC1oLNcRiz4EiFIBVCqezmQ06Or3XcZV8YoeX42v6F1e_Hm11V2pIKrOyYgpj3ChGgk06b7J7z-adcDxLY_qi5-7a75z8odulgO8t0roV6TNZxOv09zw/s320/IMAG1017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Roasted Eggplant Stack with Goat Cheese Bechemel Sauce</div>
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This was eggplant that I sliced about 3/8 inch thick, olive oil salt and pepper and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, turning over half way. I had some leftover caramelized onion, leftover walnut-parsley pesto and leftover tomato sauce. I stacked the eggplant, the pesto and the onion, eggplant, pesto and onion...etc... until I ran out of eggplant; I made a bechemel sauce by melting 1 Tbsp of butter in a skillet then add 1 Tbsp of flour, cook for a minute then slowly pour in while whisking about a cup of warm milk; off the heat melt in a chunk of goat cheese and taste to see if it's enough, season with salt and pepper; spoon over the stack letting it drip down the sides then place in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes to warm through and meld everything, then turn the broiler on and brown the top. </div>
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Fried soft Boiled Egg on Arugula Shoots - Goat Cheese and Beet Tower with Dijon Dressing </div>
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I Soft boiled the eggs earlier in the day; peeled them and chilled in the frig until I was ready to serve; dry them off with paper towel; dip in flour, then egg wash then Panko bread crumbs; let them sit on a cooling rack in the frig for about 10 minutes or so to ensure that the coating sticks to the egg and stays on while frying; heat a small deep pot with enough canola oil so the egg will be fully submerged when added (do one or two at a time); it will only take about a minute for each, you want to warm through the egg and have a golden coating on the exterior; serve over arugula sprouts.</div>
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Roast the beets by just wrapping them tightly in aluminum foil (no need for oil or seasoning) at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes (depending on the size); let them cool enough to handle them easily, while they are warm cut the root end and remove the skin by simply rubbing it off with a paper towel; Slice into 1/4 inch slices and slice a log of goat cheese into 1/4 inch slices ( I used a piece of dental floss which makes it easy); stack then slice the edges so you get a nice square tower.</div>
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Here was a shot of the inside of the egg...still soft in the middle and crunch on the outside</div>
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Herb Rubbed and Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grape Mostarda, Hannah Yams and Green beans </div>
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I made a rub for the pork tenderloins by smashing a couple garlic cloves in the mortar and pestle, a good pinch of salt and pepper, a couple fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme, 2 heaping teaspoons of Dijon mustard, a couple regular sized teaspoons of clover honey, a splash of soy sauce and a splash of rice wine vinegar, maybe 1-2 Tablespoons of each; I rubbed this over two tenderloins a few hours ahead; when we were ready Tony started the charcoal grill and cooked them whole with a chunk of hickory for flavor, I sliced them after.</div>
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The grape mostarda is easy to make and you can serve it with different meats and I bet this would be good on a grilled chicken breast. You need 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp cracked mustard seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 1/2 cups of seedless red grapes, 2 tsp mustard powder; combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to a boil, continue to boil until the liquid is reduced by half; add the grapes and mustard powder and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until the grapes are barely cooked though.</div>
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Hannah Yams are just simply cooked like you would a mashed potato. Green beans were blanched until perfectly done earlier in the day then heated in a skillet with butter to warm through, season with salt and pepper.</div>
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Spaghetti Squash with Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes</div>
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Usually I just microwave the spaghetti squash like it says to do on the sticker that comes on it but this time I cut it in half and roasted it like any other squash (flesh down) with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until very tender; remove the seeds in the center with a spoon then using the tines of a fork scrape all the "spaghetti" out into a bowl; top it with the sauce which I made by just draining a can of whole tomatoes and place the tomatoes on a sheet pan with a couple garlic cloves, a good drizzle of olive oil, a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar (maybe 1/3 cup) a sprinkling of salt and pepper and some dried oregano; roast at 375-400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until it deepens in color (move it around a couple times while it cooks with a spatula to keep the balsamic from burning on the edges); taste for seasoning then top the squash with it; grate some parmigiana reggiano over the top.</div>
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Casarecce with Walnut Parsley Pesto Cream Sauce</div>
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I had to find the box to tell you what kind of pasta this was but you can use any kind you like of course. I made the sauce by first making the pesto; I put a couple garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor, I chopped them first just to ensure they get good and chopped up, add a whole bunch of fresh parsley (avoiding the stems), a couple handfuls of walnuts (toasted in a dry skillet), about 1/3 cup of grated parmigiana reggiano, the juice of a lemon and lemon zest, salt and pepper, pulse to combine and brake down everything pretty small; drizzle in some olive oil while the machine is running until you form a paste; taste to see if it needs more lemon or salt; to make the cream sauce add about 1/2 cup of heavy cream to a skillet over medium-high heat, add a couple heaping spoonfuls of the pesto and whisk together, heat through and taste to see if you've added enough pesto or if too much add more cream; once the sauce is a good consistency and tastes right add the drained pasta to the sauce and cook together for a minute; serve; yum</div>
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I made about 1/2 lb of pasta for this amount of sauce</div>
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Boneless Rib Eye with Fresh Rosemary, garlic, cracked peppercorns and salt</div>
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I cut a couple slits into the meat and pushed garlic slices in there; a couple rosemary sprigs placed where the bone usually is, rub the salt and pepper all over and then tie with kitchen twine to hold it all together while it cooks; I did this about 30 minutes ahead of time and let it sit at room temperature, this really lets all the flavors get into the meat; also letting it sit at room temperature helps with even cooking.</div>
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Cast Iron Boneless Rib Eye with Roasted Corn and Guacamole </div>
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This seems like an odd combination to put on a plate in January but it did make it feel a little like summer (which is always a good thing). I cooked the rib eye inside because it was freezing out side! The flavors were really delicious on this steak that I described above. The avocados looked really good so I made some guacamole with just the avocado, some lime juice, fresh diced tomato, salt and pepper and something I don't usually do but I thought it needed some olive oil to enrich it. I served a few blue corn chips (as the bread), and the corn on the cob which I describe below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALUx53BbZGDZyOhInpO-fZa34LbD5IKRoMUDdfCeQLt2cXiWST8lOU_jRRLYK4etR2o0nnpgKQAKr1HHq7mgkJAFWGWH5Y_ovz2NQbnCXTvuwF1u94jf-vp6glkDWi5tD613v82pavw/s1600/IMAG0978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALUx53BbZGDZyOhInpO-fZa34LbD5IKRoMUDdfCeQLt2cXiWST8lOU_jRRLYK4etR2o0nnpgKQAKr1HHq7mgkJAFWGWH5Y_ovz2NQbnCXTvuwF1u94jf-vp6glkDWi5tD613v82pavw/s1600/IMAG0978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a>Roasted Corn On The Cob</div>
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I did this before and they were so good I had to do this idea again. Butter, salt and pepper the corn cob's, then wrap in foil, roast at 375 for 30 minutes; it's an easy way and it really comes out nice and intensely flavored</div>
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Savory Cheese Cake over Arugula</div>
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I didn't measure anything here, so maybe it's not that important to be exact, this is what I did. Keep in mind I only made 2 portions so if you want more that double this...In a food processor add 4 oz of cream cheese, an ounce of blue cheese, a couple-three tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 1 egg, salt and pepper, fresh thyme to taste. Buzz it all up and spoon into 2 small souffle cups that you've buttered and coated with bread crumbs; press into the center another chunk of blue cheese; bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes; it puffs up a bit like a souffle; serve over an arugula salad simply dressed.</div>
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Pizza of caramelized onions, baby kale, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers and homemade slow cooked tomato sauce with fresh oregano from Puerto Rico </div>
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When my friend Maria from work brought back some fresh oregano after a trip to Puerto Rico I had to make something to showcase it. A pizza was the first thing that I thought of. I use my food processor to make the dough which is 1/4 cup of 110 degree water mixed with just over a tsp of instant dried yeast and 1/2 tsp of sugar; measure out 5 oz of room temperature water and a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside; in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough hook add 11 oz of bread flour and 3/4 tsp of kosher salt; after the yeast mixture is bloomed which takes about 5 minutes add the room temperature water and olive oil mixture to the yeast mixture and mix together with a fork; pour this into the flour mixture while pulsing and after all the liquid is in run the processor for 30 seconds (this kneads the dough); dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead just enough to make it smoother which takes about 10 kneads; place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel in a warm spot to rise for an hour; punch down and let it rise again for another hour (sometimes I let it rise even an hour and a half each time); carefully spread out the dough and top it with whatever you like. I made the sauce with canned whole tomatoes cooked in a good amount of olive oil, whole garlic cloves that you remove after cooking, salt and pepper and of course the fresh oregano; let it simmer uncovered to thicken for about an hour.</div>
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Salmon and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches served with Arugula and Kale Salad</div>
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I made some aioli with an egg yolk, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cumin. I used cumin because I heard that morning you should eat cumin with omega 3's, so I tried it and it was good. I spread the aioli on the bread and layered smoked salmon with thin cucumber slices on each side, cut the crust off then cut into quarters. I made an arugula and baby kale salad with fingerling potatoes and roasted mushrooms and shallots. </div>
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Individual Baked Alaska</div>
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Just make a basic white cupcake (I made one up for this and it needs work), cut off the top and scoop in vanilla ice cream, put the top back on and then top with meringue; to make the meringue it's 4 egg whites at room temperature that you beat with a 1/4 tsp cream of tarter, after it starts to change to white beat in 1/2 cup of sugar very slowly and continue beating until stiff peaks form; beat in a tsp of vanilla; you should be able to hold the bowl upside-down over your head, then you know they are whipped enough. Brown the meringue with a hand held torch or under the broiler.</div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-20080300069345826342013-01-21T17:56:00.003-05:002013-01-27T17:00:05.229-05:00Seaberry/Sea Buckthorn BerriesPlease check out <a href="http://seaberry-hippophaerhamnoides.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tom's Seaberry/Sea Buckthorn blog</a> when you have a chance. Seaberry/Sea Buckthorn is a very interesting ingredient that's getting lots of attention in the food world recently. In the recent issue of <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/" target="_blank">Bon Appetit</a>, it's listed as the "Ingredient of the moment" (pg 26 of the Feb 2013 issue).<br />
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JeanneandTonyGoToFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16359460036761810872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-56576635168591397412013-01-20T07:05:00.000-05:002013-01-20T07:05:10.186-05:00Soft boiled eggs anyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Soft boiled egg over shoestring fries</div>
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Martha Stewart has yet another show called.."Martha's Cooking School"... we were watching an episode on potatoes one day and the next morning a show on poaching eggs. With both ideas fresh in my mind I combined them for breakfast. I didn't deep fry the potatoes like she did. I used a mandolin to cut the potatoes into shoestrings, rinsed in a bowl of cold water and paper towel dried them; I used a nonstick skillet with a good coating of olive oil at the bottom, heated the oil first then drop in the potatoes and sauteed them over medium high heat until they became crisp; season with salt and pepper. The egg is a fresh farm extra large egg, only a couple days old (thanks to my friend Lisa) and I just bring a saucepan of water with a bit of white wine vinegar to a good simmer; carefully drop in an egg and allow to cook for 3 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and remove any excess water on paper towels then serve over the potatoes...</div>
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I had some tomatoes that were getting old so I roasted them with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, whole garlic cloves with the paper on, salt and pepper at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. I let it cool to room temperature and serve with fresh mozzarella cheese and a crunchy slice of french bread (pictured below)</div>
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Roasted Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Crostini (above)</div>
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Finnish Raspberry Pancake</div>
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I was flipping through the pictures on Pintrest and I came across this pancake, it was early Saturday morning and I was trying to figure what to make for breakfast so I made this. It's not the regular pancake you know well, this one is from Finland and it's more like a custard, it's cooked in the oven and topped with jam and a drizzle of honey. It was interesting...I will make it again...</div>
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<a href="http://www.blogresipi.com/2012/03/11/baked-raspberry-pancake/">Here is the Finnish pancake recipe.</a></div>
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Here is a slice of the Finnish pancake described above.</div>
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Caramelized Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Stewed Apple and Pears<br />
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I started with the stewed fruit by peeling and dicing one Granny Smith apple and one Bosc pear into 3/4 inch dice; add to a saucepan with a pat of butter over medium high heat for about 20-30 minutes or until they are tender and slightly browning. While they cook remove the silver skin from a pork tenderloin and slice into 1 1/2 inch medallions, lay them down and press down slightly so they are now about an inch thick; season with salt and pepper on both sides then sear in a skillet for about 2 minutes per side; remove to a warm 150 degree oven just to keep them warm while you make the sauce; deglaze the pan with about 1/2 cup of red wine, let it boil down for a minute while you scrape up any brown bits from the pan; add about 1/2 cup chicken stock and let that boil for a few minutes; finish with a tablespoon or two of ketchup (Jacques Pepin's trick to finishing his sauces which adds richness and flavor); taste to see if you need any seasoning; add the pork and any juices that accumulated back to the sauce just to coat and serve over the stewed fruit.</div>
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Salmon en papillote</div>
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Cooking en papillote is cooking (usually fish) in a parchment paper, sealed tightly and baking it in the oven. I first lay a portion of salmon that's been seasoned with salt and pepper on the parchment then saute a chopped shallot in olive oil for just a minute to get it going then sprinkled it over the salmon; chop a tomato and added them along with some fresh tarragon; fold the parchment like a book and seal the edges by making small folds overlapping until you've worked your way all the way around; brush the parchment with oil so it looks pretty when it comes out of the oven; bake on a sheet pan for 10 minutes at 400; serve as I did (below) in the paper just cut open and pushed aside or remove it completely by sliding it onto a plate. I served this with potatoes that I cut into a small dice; boiled until tender; drain well; heat a non-stick skillet with olive oil; add the potatoes tossing now and then to brown; this process takes about 20-30 minutes.. Serve with a slice or two of lemon...</div>
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Salmon en papillote</div>
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Roasted Kale</div>
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I forget where I saw this but someone roasted these whole Dinosaur Kale leaves so I had to do it too... I washed and dried the leaves then lightly brush with olive oil, a little salt and pepper then roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees until they turn into "potato chips"... </div>
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Turkey Scaloppine with wild mushrooms and Israelian couscous</div>
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Jacques Pepin was making this on his show "fast food my way" so I made it. He used dried morel mushrooms but I used a combination of dried mushrooms that I had in my pantry and it worked perfectly. Basically you put about a cup or so of dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with hot water and let it reconstitute for 20 minutes or so; pound out turkey breast to about 1/4 inch; season with salt and pepper; dredge in flour knocking off the excess; brown on both sides in olive oil in a non-stick skillet which should only take a total of 4-5 minutes; keep warm while you make the sauce; add a finely diced shallot to the pan after 30 seconds add the reconstituted mushrooms and slowly pour in the liquid the mushrooms were soaking in but hold back the very end where there may be some sand that you don't want in your dish; cook that down to pretty much nothing then add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream then reduce that for a few minutes until a nice consistency; add the turkey back to the sauce and coat it. Serve with Israelian couscous which only takes about 10 minutes to cook; I flavored it with 1/2 of a small onion finely chopped and sauteed in olive oil first then I added 1 tsp of turmeric and I used homemade chicken stock for the liquid instead of water.</div>
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Pistachio Crusted Veal Chop</div>
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I always let a piece of meat like this sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking, it will ensure even cooking. Also 30 minutes before season with salt and pepper on each side. I pulsed a handful of pistachio nuts in the food processor along with a handful of fresh parsley leaves until it's like coarse breadcrumb consistency. Brush on a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard to help the crust stick and add flavor; press on the pistachio mixture; in a oven safe skillet heat some olive oil then add the veal; cook on that one side for about 5 minutes then put the whole pan in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until it's perfectly done for you! I served mashed potatoes and a green salad with this.</div>
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Cherry Tart</div>
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I had about 1 pound of cherries that I pitted and added to a bowl along with, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice; mix together and pour into the center of a rolled out pastry dough; fold the edges up over the filling and onto a cookie sheet; add a pat of butter to the top of the cherry filling and brush the crust with heavy cream or egg wash then sprinkle on a bit of sugar; into a preheated 400 degree oven for about 50 minutes or until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling.</div>
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Mousse Cups</div>
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This is something I made and brought to a friends house for New Year's Eve. It's these little plastic shot glasses I got at The Party Store that I first placed a raspberry at the bottom, then some vanilla pudding and some chocolate mousse; I had these little spoons which were perfect and decorated them with some wire-ey things I found at the party store.</div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-27090879026064787742013-01-18T08:02:00.000-05:002013-01-26T17:52:16.209-05:00My own Triple Sec Cake and more...<br />
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Jeanne's Triple Sec Cake</div>
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(see below)</div>
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Brioche French Toast<br />
What do you do when Whole Foods sells "authentic french brioche bread"? You get some and make french toast with it! It's so good on it's own that you can't go wrong with this. I just mixed eggs and milk with a little vanilla; after soaking it for a few minutes browned them in butter and served with...you guessed it ...maple syrup and fresh berries...<br />
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Smoothie<br />
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This is our weekday breakfast lately. In my Vitamix I chop up an apple, an orange, a frozen banana, a scant cup of fat free Greek yogurt, about a cup of frozen wild blueberries, sometimes a few frozen peaches, a couple tablespoons of flax seed and a few handfuls of baby spinach or baby kale. While its blending it needs some liquid to help it get going so I use either almond milk or apple cider. Surprisingly this doesn't taste "healthy" after it's blended till smooth. This is plenty for the two of us.<br />
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Warm Frisee Salad with Shiitake, Yellow Beets and Shallots</div>
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WOW! Yum this was good! I took a picture of the ingredients that went into this salad (below). I roasted some yellow beets in aluminum foil until they were tender which takes 50 minutes or so on 400 degrees (depending on the size of course). Once they cool down a bit remove the skins and set them aside. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and saute the shiitake mushrooms that you have just torn in half or left whole if they are small. Cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, throw in the shallots that you have sliced thinly and cook with a pinch of salt. When everything looks perfectly done, toss in wedges of the beets and add 3 or 4 Tablespoons of Sherry vinegar and about the same or slightly more olive oil. Cook and heat through for another minute and pour over the Frisee lettuce, toss to cover the lettuce with the warm dressing. Plate and grind some black pepper over. I think I'll have another...</div>
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"Mise en place" for the Frisee salad (above)</div>
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Salmon with Capers and Lemons over Quinoa</div>
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Eggplant, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Salad</div>
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I sliced eggplant and roasted it with olive oil, salt and pepper, 400 degrees for 35 minutes turning over halfway. Slice one large onion thin and cook over medium low heat with a tablespoon each of oil and butter and a pinch of salt and sugar until caramelized, which takes a good 30-40 minutes. Make the dressing by mixing together a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, about a tablespoon of soy sauce, about a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, little salt and pepper and whisk in olive oil to emulsify (about 3 Tablespoons or until it tastes good). When the eggplant is done remove it and plate and while the eggplant is still warm spoon some of the dressing over so it really soaks in. Layer some goat cheese, caramelized onions, baby kale, some more of the eggplant, dressing, fresh basil, baby kale and toasted pine nuts. Serve it at room temperature. I like to let it sit for an hour or so to let the flavors meld. </div>
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Lentil Soup with Linguisa </div>
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This was based on a recipe by Laura Calder. I was watching her show and she made this so I made it too. She used Churizo, here is her<a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/cream-of-lentil-soup-with-chorizo-croutes-recipe/index.html"> recipe</a><br />
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Charcoal Grilled Beef Fillet with Stilton and Scallion Sauce, Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Baby Spinach</div>
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I made the sauce by just reducing a little heavy cream, maybe 1/2 cup down to 1/4 cup then off the heat melt in some Borough's Market Stilton, or another blue cheese and some chopped scallions. The potatoes were something I came across on Pintrest. It was a Martha Stewart recipe that I modified slightly.<br />
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Potato Tian</div>
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Pre-heat the oven to 375. Slice about 2 Lb of Yukon Gold potatoes very thin by hand or using a mandolin. Place the potatoes into a bowl and drizzle about 3 Tbsp of olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt, toss to coat each potato. Coat a shallow baking dish, just big enough to hold the potatoes standing up with olive oil. Stand the potatoes up and pack tightly, scatter some fresh thyme around. Bake for 75-90 minutes until the tops are nicely browned and the potatoes are cooked through.</div>
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Cauliflower soup with croutons and parsley</div>
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Soften a chopped leek and chopped garlic clove in olive oil for about 5 minutes, remove and discard the core of a whole cauliflower and chop up the rest; add the chopped cauliflower to the leeks and cover with chicken or vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer; cook until tender then blend using a stick blender or a regular blender until very smooth; add a splash of heavy cream if you like and blend it one more time; season to taste.</div>
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Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel, Roasted Pears and Braised Fingerling Potatoes</div>
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I sliced the pork tenderloin into medallions about an inch and a half thick. I marinated these in a honey, mustard, fresh rosemary, garlic and apple cider combination for a couple hours. I roasted slices of fennel in olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or so. I sliced Bosc pears about 1/8 inch and tossed with lemon juice, 1-2 Tbsp of melted butter and a pinch of salt; roast at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Braise the potatoes by peeling them half way like you see in the picture and gently cook in about an inch of chicken stock and a pat of butter; simmer with the cover on for about 30 minutes or until cooked through; remove the cover and cook to let the liquid evaporate and the butter coat the potatoes. Stack a pork medallion, the fennel, the pears, the pork, the pears and finally the fennel on top. Serve the potatoes on the side with a garnish of fresh rosemary.</div>
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Arugula salad of Roasted Broccoli and mushrooms topped with a poached egg</div>
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Roasted French Green Beans</div>
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Roast with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees until the green beans get slightly charred and you would be surprised how they are like a potato chip. We snacked on these with drinks. The salt and crunch is there!!</div>
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French Apple Cake</div>
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I planned to make a carrot cake for my family, well you need carrots for that (I always have carrots but I had run out)! So I searched for another option in my kitchen, I had apples so I<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Apple-Cake-2504"> found this idea on line</a>. This was a big hit! I will make this again, yum...</div>
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Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries</div>
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Jeanne's Triple Sec Cake</div>
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I had decided to make up a cake recipe one day. I started by separating eggs, mixing sugar with the yolks, whipping the whites.. using olive oil for the fat...almond meal with some all purpose flour to make it slightly healthy... well it was pretty good, but it needed more sweetness. Here is what I did after a little tweaking...</div>
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<u>for the cake</u></div>
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4 eggs separated</div>
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1/2 C sugar</div>
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1/4 C olive oil</div>
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1 Tsp vanilla</div>
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zest of 1 orange</div>
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1/3 C almond flour</div>
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1/3 C all purpose flour</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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1/4 tsp cream of tarter</div>
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<u>Triple Sec Syrup</u></div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1/4 cup Triple Sec (or other orange liqueur)</div>
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1/4 cup water</div>
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Whisk 4 yolks with the sugar until lightened a bit, add the olive oil, vanilla and the zest; sift the two flours and salt; whisk the egg whits with the tarter until stiff peaks form; fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture then fold about 1/3 of the whites in then the rest of the whites; pour into a greased and parchment lined 8 inch baking pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees; it will be done when the sides separate from the sides of the pan, the center is puffed up a bit and a toothpick inserted comes out clean; let it sit for 5 minutes then using a toothpick, prick the cake about an inch apart all over then spoon with the triple sec syrup slowly, you will have to spoon it over the top in 3 or 4 stages so it has time to drink it all up.</div>
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To make the syrup just combine the 3 ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until clear which takes about 5 minutes over medium heat; stir to help it along.</div>
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I gave my cake as a gift this holiday season and to make it festive I topped it with orange supreme's, raspberries, whipped cream and a dusting of confectioner's sugar.</div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0Milford, MA 01757, USA42.1526727 -71.51304449999997842.0585027 -71.674405999999976 42.246842699999995 -71.35168299999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-91146367643345196912012-12-02T14:49:00.000-05:002012-12-02T14:49:58.161-05:00Braised Short Ribs step-by-step (for John) and lots more...<div style="text-align: center;">
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Who doesn't love a good short rib once in a while? You should plan on making this a day ahead so the flavors have time to meld in the refrigerator overnight. Here, I go step by step to show you how I did it. Start with bone-in short ribs. You want them to be meaty and have good marbling, because as you will see they shrink down quite a bit once the bone is removed and the marbling melts away. </div>
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Season with salt and pepper then dredge in flour (knocking off the excess)</div>
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Brown on all sides in canola or grape seed oil. Do it in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan if you have to. </div>
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Here I have bundled together some aromatics in cheesecloth. An onion chopped, a couple each of carrots and celery, 6-7 garlic cloves just crushed and 2 bay leafs. </div>
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Tie a pretty bow with kitchen twine. This will make it easy to remove later so the vegetables don't cling to the meat (have this ready before browning the meat).</div>
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In a<a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/dutch-oven/index.html"> dutch oven </a>add the browned meat and nestle the aromatics in the center. Pour a couple cups of red wine and stock to come up almost to the top of the meat. I used homemade turkey stock because that's what I had but use whatever you want, low sodium beef stock is probably the best. Add a diced tomato or two and heat on the stove top. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to a simmer. Place into a 300 degree oven for 3 hours. Check it after it's been in for 15 minutes to make sure it's not boiling to hard, you want a gentle simmer, you may need to turn the oven down a little (or up if it's not simmering).</div>
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This is what it looks like after 3 hours (not too appetizing right now).</div>
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Take the meat out onto a plate and remove the bone (which sometimes completely falls out on it's own) and the fat layer that was over the bone (see below)</div>
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Strain the liquid then pour it into a fat separator. Pour the degreased liquid into a medium saucepan and reduce it by boiling it for 5-10 minutes. I started with about 3 1/2 cups of liquid and I boiled it to about 2 cups. Put the meat into the liquid, place the lid on top, let it cool a bit and put it in the refrigerator overnight. This is the kind of thing that tastes much better the next day. <br />
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So above is the braised short ribs with the reduced sauce. I nestled the beef into the liquid as much as I could, covered the pot and put it in the refrigerator until the next night. <br />
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I reheated the short ribs gently on medium or medium-low until the meat is heated through. Saute mushrooms in a skillet, seasoning them with salt and pepper until they taste perfect then add them to the short rib pot. Thicken the sauce with a "beurre manie" (burr mahn-YAY) which is kneaded butter and flour. I used 2 tablespoons of softened butter and 2 tablespoons of flour, just blended together with your fingertips or the tines of a fork. Whisk in a little at a time and as it comes back to a simmer it will thicken nicely. Add chopped parsley if you like for color.<br />
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Check to see if you need some salt and pepper by tasting a bit of the sauce, and if it does add it now then stir through before plating.<br />
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Plate the short ribs over mashed potatoes being sure to spoon plenty of the sauce around...<br />
Serve with a glass of red wine..<br />
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Chicken Piccata with lentils and Brussels sprouts</div>
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This chicken breast is lightly pounded so it's an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper, dust with flour and in a nonstick skillet cook it on both sides in a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. When the chicken is almost cooked through deglaze with 1/3 cup or so of white wine or vermouth, squeeze in the juice of a lemon and add a couple tablespoons of capers. Cook for a couple more minutes to reduce the liquid. Add a tablespoon of butter and swirl it in off the heat. </div>
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Pork Meatballs and homemade fettuccine </div>
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When you make a meatball using only ground pork something wonderful happens. I'm never happy with the texture when I use beef. I make a pretty basic meatball using eggs, parsley, Parmesan, bread crumbs... A couple different things is I use Panko bread crumbs to thicken it towards the end of mixing but I also use day old bread that's soaked in milk. I always saute some diced onions with garlic and chili pepper flakes to soften and add the cooled onion mixture to the meat mixture, this time I added finely chopped fennel to the onions that went into the meatball and into the tomato sauce. I was very happy with this one...</div>
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Roasted cauliflower with lemon aioli</div>
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I roasted some cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper, until it gets lightly browned on the edges and towards the end I drizzled a little more olive oil, sprinkled on Panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and let that form a crust over top. I made the aioli in my mortar and pestle with a garlic clove, egg yolk, salt, pepper, a teaspoon of white wine vinegar and drizzle olive oil until an emulsion is formed (up to a cup). Squeeze in the lemon juice from about a half a lemon until it has a perfect lemon aioli taste (you may need more salt and pepper). Yummy just dipping the cauliflower in as an appetizer.</div>
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Egg, ricotta and baby spinach bake served on a bed of ratatouille </div>
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I made the ratatouille by chopping onion, yellow bell pepper, eggplant and zucchini into a small dice. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and get the onion and eggplant in first and saute for about 10 minutes then add the bell pepper, zucchini and a couple garlic cloves crushed but left whole so you can take them out later. While all that is cooking slowly in the olive oil, add more olive oil if needed (the eggplant absorbs a lot) dice up some tomatoes (1 or 2 depending on size) that you have removed the seeds and skin from. Let it cook slow for a good 30-40 minutes in total. Check for seasoning. Mmmm! </div>
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For the egg dish I sauteed baby spinach until perfectly cooked and put that at the bottom of a small baking dish. Drop in 1 inch squares of Brie evenly (as much as you want), sprinkle with Panko bread crumbs (a good handful). Whisk together in a mixing bowl 4 eggs, 1 cup of ricotta, salt, pepper and fresh ground nutmeg. Pour this mixture over the Panko layer and place in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until just cooked through. This was surprisingly good and we loved the texture.</div>
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Mixed berry yogurt freeze</div>
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My new toy is a Vitamix (heavy duty blender) that Tony got me as an early Christmas present. The recipe book that came with it gave this recipe using frozen strawberries. We made it with mixed frozen berries (1 lb), 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup sugar. </div>
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Vanilla "ice cream" done in the Vitamix.</div>
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I put ice cream in quotes because it's really "ice 2% milk". It's right in the recipe book of the Vitamix. All it is is 1 cup milk of your choice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup nonfat milk powder, a splash of vanilla and 4 cups of ice! Look what you get, it's so good! By the way that recipe makes 5 cups of "ice cream", so much less calories than a real ice cream. I made a caramel sauce and since I had it I thought I'd top the ice cream with it. <br />
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Breakfast smoothie (in Vitamix)</div>
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I was looking on line at smoothie recipes and I came across this one that's packed with nutrition and it was good and filling. It's 2-3 cups of fresh kale, 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, 1 1/2 cup frozen blackberries, 1/2 frozen banana, 2 Tbsp flax seeds and 1 cup unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk.</div>
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Rubik's Cube</div>
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I brought this to our friends house as an appetizer. I saw it on line and had to copy it. You can use any combination of fruit you like, I used seedless watermelon, pineapple, kiwi and feta. Try to cut them all the same size, good quality ingredients and stack them up.</div>
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Bread pudding with golden raisins and vanilla bourbon sauce<br />
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This was supposed to have dried sour cherries in it too but I forgot to buy them :( It was still good but it would have been better with the cherries. This was in the<a href="http://imbibemagazine.com/"> Imbibe magazine</a> that we just got in the mail. Let me know if you want the recipe, I couldn't find the link on line but I will type it up if someone is interested.<br />
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Jeanne's cake</div>
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I figured I'd invent a cake so I went and separated 4 eggs, beat the yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, mixed in 1/4 cup olive oil, splash of vanilla. I whisked together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, a pinch of salt and folded that into the yolk mixture. Whisk the whites with cream of tarter and fold that in. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners sugar and garnished with strawberries. Very good but I will make it again with 1/4 cup more sugar and scant 1/2 cup of both flours. </div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-34570247190658479672012-11-17T17:59:00.000-05:002012-11-17T17:59:36.749-05:00Cookin' with gas...<br />
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Chicken Saltimbocca, potato gratin and green beans.</div>
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Saltimbocca is chicken breast pounded out pretty thin, about 1/8 of an inch, and topped with fresh sage and prosciutto then rolled back together and secured with a toothpick. You then brown on both sides in a skillet with a tablespoon or two each of butter and olive oil. Cover and let the chicken cook through for 5-10 minutes or so (it depends on the size of the chicken and how thin you pounded it out). I removed the chicken from the pan and deglazed with a little chicken stock and a squeeze of lemon juice, let it reduce a little and swirl in about a tablespoon or so of butter off the heat, pour over chicken.</div>
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Potato gratin</div>
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This is probably the best potato dish there is. It's thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes layered in a gratin dish with salt, pepper and heavy cream between the layers then finished with cream just barely covering on top and a couple pieces of butter so it browns nicely. After layering all the ingredients in the gratin dish cover it with aluminum foil and bake it in a 375 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with the tip of a knife. Remove the foil and let it cook until it's all bubbly around the edges and the top is browned. </div>
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Roasted Butternut Squash, carrots, onions, garlic and thyme.</div>
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I made these roasted vegetables and the thyme bread stuffing (below) to go along with a whole roasted chicken. Talk about comfort food!!</div>
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For the roasted vegetables I cut all the vegetables in uniform sizes so they cook at about the same rate. I tossed them all together with olive oil, salt, pepper and a cinnamon stick just for fun. Roasting until everything is cooked through and lightly browned which takes about 40 minutes in a 400 degree oven. </div>
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Leftover Spaghetti Cake</div>
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I sauteed slices of a small eggplant with slices of onion. I had ready 2 beaten eggs with a couple spoons of ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Add leftover spaghetti to the skillet and toss to heat through. Add the egg mixture and distribute evenly, let it cook on one side, flip over and cook the other side. The edges are crispy and the center is soft. I put a little tomato salad on top. An excellent lunch that was quick, easy and yummy!</div>
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Pan seared Salmon with Puttanesca Sauce and Brown Rice</div>
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I actually did my version of puttanesca sauce. The real sauce has tomatoes, onions, capers, black olives, anchovies, oregano and garlic all cooked together in olive oil. I heated some olive oil and added shallots, garlic, capers, lemon zest, tomatoes and I think I used fresh thyme here (but you can use whatever fresh herb you want). </div>
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Corn and Basil Risotto</div>
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I made a risotto and add frozen corn towards the end of cooking along with fresh basil chiffonade. It was quite good, I must say...</div>
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Sausage and Potato</div>
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In a baking dish I combined slices of hot Italian pork sausage, wedges of Yukon Gold potatoes, whole garlic cloves, torn pieces of day old chibata bread, olive oil, paprika, salt, pepper and rosemary. Roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes tossing half way through. The bread in it is really good, it soaks up the juices and gets a nice crusty edge on it. I finished with a little fresh Thyme.</div>
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Chicken Pot Pie</div>
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I sauteed some mushrooms separately to get the best flavor out of them. I finely diced the vegetables and sauteed them in butter and oil until tender, made a roux with the fat in the pan and poured in homemade chicken stock, add the mushrooms and poured into a baking dish. I let it cool slightly so the pie crust that I placed on top would stay cold before baking (which it the key to a flaky crust) </div>
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Chicken Salad Crostini appetizer</div>
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I was watching John Besh and he was making this dish with crab. I thought... "I'll do that with the leftover chicken I have in the frig"... He didn't measure anything it depends how mush chicken or crab you have. I minced 1 shallot, a couple spoons of mayonnaise, a spoon of mustard, a few dashes of white wine vinegar, hot sauce to taste, the whites of 1 or 2 hard boiled eggs finely diced, cayenne, lemon juice, capers, fresh tarragon and fresh chives. Mix that all together and I chopped up the egg yolks and used that as the base of the dish. This was very flavorful and a different appetizer. I may make all my chicken salads like that from now on...</div>
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Artichoke Croutons to go with roasted garlic soup</div>
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I didn't get a picture of the soup but it is so good, I made it before and I had been thinking about it. I had a cold last week and it hit the spot! It's a Chuck Hughes recipe,<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Soup/Vegetables/recipe.html?dishid=11386"> here it is </a></div>
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Braised Chicken with Roasted Peppers</div>
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This is a whole chicken cut into 12 pieces, season with salt and pepper then dredged in flour. Brown the chicken pieces in olive oil in a cast iron pan. Once browned on one side, turn over to brown the other side and add 5-6 garlic cloves peeled and just crushed lightly. Cut a roasted red pepper into 1 inch strips and the same for a yellow pepper and add to the pan. Sprinkle in a pinch or two of dried oregano and about 3/4 cup of white wine, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or so or until cooked through. So good, reminded me a sweet and sour chicken from a Chinese restaurant for some reason.</div>
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NY Strip with Creamed Corn and Rice Pilaf </div>
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This creamed corn was gooood!!! It's 2 whole corn on the cobs that are rubbed with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper, wrapped in foil, placed on a baking dish and cooked for 30 minutes on 350. Heat heavy cream, about 1/2 cup in a saucepan with about 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger, salt and pepper. Cut the kernels off and add them to a saucepan. Continue to simmer together for about 10 minutes to infuse the corn flavor into the cream then add a handful of Gruyere cheese off the heat. Stir together and its fantastic!</div>
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For the rice pilaf, I had some leftover brown rice. I heated some butter and oil to a skillet then added a sliced shallot, cook and add the leftover rice. Cook for 10 minutes or so and add some toasted pine nuts and fresh thyme.</div>
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Smoked Kielbasa, Chick Peas, Onions and Red Bell Pepper served with toast.</div>
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I made this very fast with some Kielbasa from the freezer. Sear the Kielbasa in a skillet add onion, slices of bell pepper and when everything is pretty much cooked perfectly add a can of drained chick peas a splash of chicken stock and I finished it in a very French way, with beurre manie, which is kneaded butter and flour added at the end of cooking just to thicken the sauce. </div>
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Eggplant, Zucchini and Spinach Lasagna</div>
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Lidia was making this by breading slices of eggplant and zucchini with flour, eggs mixed with milk and the bread crumbs were seasoned with salt and pepper then a lot of olive oil added to make like wet sand. Bread as you would normally, brushing off excess bread crumbs, place on a sheet pan, then bake in a 375 oven for about 25 minutes until they a partially cooked and lightly browned. Meanwhile saute spinach just as you would for a side dish with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Layer in a lasagna pan some tomato sauce, the eggplant, sauce, grated fresh mozzarella, grated Parmesan, zucchini, sauce, cheeses, spinach, sauce and so-on until all ingredients are gone. Finish with sauce, grated mozzarella and then the grated Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes or until it's browned on top.</div>
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Fresh Sweet Potato ravioli with Trumpet Mushrooms and Cherry Tomatoes</div>
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If I remember right, the ravioli filling is mashed sweet potato mixed with ricotta cheese, cinnamon, pine nuts, salt, pepper and an egg. To make the sauce it's just mushrooms seared in a skillet with butter and oil then add a little pasta water and tomatoes. Toss the cooked ravioli in with the mushrooms and add some kneaded butter and flour to thicken.</div>
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Apple Crepe Tart</div>
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I forget who I was watching but they made a crepe batter and had thin slices of apple ready. Butter the crepe pan or small non stick skillet and pour a little of the batter in, as if you were making crepes. Once its in the pan add slices of apples to the uncooked side in a fancy layer, dust with confectioners sugar (removing the pan from the heat if it's cooking too fast). Flip the crepe over and add about 1-2 Tbsp of heavy cream around the edges of the crepe. Brown on the apple side and cook through the apple which only takes a couple minutes. Between the butter in the pan and the confectioners sugar added to the apple side, then the heavy cream added at the end you get a caramel. Flip out the crepe to a serving dish, dust with confectioners sugar and serve with ice cream or in this case Chantilly cream.</div>
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Pear Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream</div>
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<br />Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-1647288984418052672012-11-01T20:07:00.002-04:002012-11-01T20:16:12.416-04:00Homemade sourdough bread and some other things...<br />
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After trying to make a sourdough starter a couple times (in order to make sourdough bread) in the past and getting frustrated because it wasn't working, I finally succeeded!!</div>
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I was looking on-line for a recipe and I came across one that sounded like it might work,<a href="http://thischickcooks.net/2012/01/19/how-to-make-a-sourdough-starter/"> here it is..</a>.<br />
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After mixing the rye flour and water it looks as you would imagine.</div>
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This was after 5-6 days of feeding it each day more flour and water ( I didn't get a shot of the final day).</div>
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You can see more bubbles and it's starting to smell like sourdough bread.</div>
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I did make the <b>sourdough bread</b> recipe that was given in the link above, but I wasn't happy with it. I did what the link above says to do which is to put the starter in the refrigerator and feed it, but less often just to keep it going. I did my own thing and used all purpose flour instead of rye flour (because it was too "rye" tasting). I also did my own thing and followed Jim Lahey's<a href="http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/recipes"> no-kneed method.</a> Which is easy as can be but in place of a little flour and the yeast I added about 1/2 cup of the starter and let it sit for 18 hours before doing Jim Lahey's final step and baking it off which is to bake it in a cast iron pot. It was very delicious!!</div>
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I roasted some eggplant and onions. I layered the roasted vegetables in this baking dish along with some goat cheese, some jarred roasted peppers and diced tomato. I drizzled some balsamic vinegar and olive oil over it all and let it sit for an hour or so and served it with the fresh out of the oven sourdough bread!</div>
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Artichokes filled with mushroom duxelles and a crunchy top<br />
basically you saute finely diced shallots with finely diced Bella mushrooms and after they begin to brown season with salt and pepper, deglaze with Mederia wine and finish with a splash of heavy cream. Fill the jarred artichokes that you cut in half the long way with this duxelles filling and top with a combination of bread crumbs and olive oil then sprinkle over top. Bake until browned on top and heated through.<br />
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Devil's on horseback</div>
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This is dried prunes (re-hydrated with port wine) filled with a whole almond in the center and bacon wrapped around. Broil until the bacon is cooked and for some reason they serve these with toast points. I didn't think the toast points were necessary but I read that is what they do in Britten. </div>
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Salad with a crust-less leek tart and Hibiscus flour stuffed with goat cheese</div>
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I had a drink recently that had a hibiscus flour at the bottom of the glass. To recreate that drink at home I got these flowers at the liqueur store and the bottle suggested this appetizer so I did it.</div>
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Pan seared salmon with mushroom polenta and peas</div>
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Homemade ravioli filled with ricotta, basil and pine nuts with a tomato cream sauce</div>
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Deviled eggs topped with radish</div>
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I flavored these with mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper</div>
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New York Strip steak with roasted asparagus and roasted Russet potato</div>
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Pear cupcakes with caramel, cream cheese frosting and a pear chip</div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-80092041392226220042012-10-24T18:46:00.001-04:002012-11-01T20:18:14.984-04:00I'm back!We are pretty much settled into our new house and I am starting to feel like I can get creative again in the kitchen. Here are some dishes that were worthy of a photo...<br />
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My version of a Croque Monsieur. It's a French grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I made it with a bechamel sauce and mustard spread inside and then topped with bechamel and gruyere cheese. I made a butternut squash soup which I pureed but then garnished with some butternut squash that I roasted.</div>
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Cheddar and Thyme mini grilled cheese points with pepper jelly. I actually removed the crusts and rolled out the white wheat bread ( I never buy white but I had to for another recipe) with a rolling pin. Assemble the sandwiches, seal the edges with a little water. Brown them in butter, cut into appetizer sized points.</div>
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Homemade Fettuccine with meatballs and sauce. I love making fresh pasta and I use just all purpose flour and eggs. I made the meatballs using 50% ground 90% beef and 50% ground pork, and all the other usual suspects....parsley, fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper. I made the sauce with red pepper flakes, crushed garlic, whole canned tomatoes that I puree with a stick blender.</div>
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Turkey and Mushroom Burger with Boucheron Cheese and Balsamic Caramelized Onions. This was so good! I have been making this turkey mushroom burger lately but the buns Tony got at Whole Foods along with our favorite Boucheron cheese and onions that I caramelized then added some balsamic right at the end with a teaspoon of sugar was fantastic. I saute 1 chopped shallot and 1 regular sized container of Bella mushrooms finely chopped, in butter until nicely browned then add fresh thyme. Let that mixture cool and add to 1 pound of ground dark turkey meat, season with salt and pepper and form into patties. I cut a Hannah Yam into "french fry shapes" and roasted with salt, pepper and olive oil.</div>
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Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Creme Yvette macerated Strawberries and Vanilla Whipped Cream. </div>
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Pork and Cabbage Pot Stickers with soy, sesame and rice wine vinegar dipping sauce.</div>
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Roasted \Eggplant Salad with Goat Cheese and Roasted Orange Peppers.</div>
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Goat Cheese and Balsamic Onion Tart.</div>
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Beer (yes beer) Stew with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans. The Stew is made with steak tips (which works nicely) <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/beef-in-beer-recipe/index.html">here is the recipe.</a></div>
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Roasted Root Vegetables that I served with a whole roasted chicken which I didn't take a picture of.</div>
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Apple Crisp with Haagen Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream.</div>
Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-1425657157213340672012-10-02T18:45:00.001-04:002012-10-02T18:45:56.606-04:00The big move!We haven't abandoned the blog...we've just moved to a new home! We're getting settled in and setting up the new kitchen. Be back soon!!JeanneandTonyGoToFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16359460036761810872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-32679943354164617172012-07-12T14:57:00.000-04:002012-07-12T15:16:08.535-04:00A lot more good food!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jeanne's chocolate layered loaf cake</div>
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I had an idea of making a layered dessert using this flour-less chocolate cake that I love by Jacques Pepin, along with raspberries that I had in the frig, some pastry cream and lady fingers. So I cooked down 2 containers of raspberries with some sugar until it became like a jam and strained half of it (because their was a lot of seeds from the fruit). I dissolved some gelatin and added that to the raspberries and chilled it. The chocolate cake itself is 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate, 3.5 egg whites at room temp and 1 Tbsp of sugar; Heat the cream in a medium saucepan until it comes to a simmer; remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate; whisk slowly and as the chocolate melts it will become one with the cream; whip the egg whites with the sugar until stiff peaks and with a glossy sheen; spoon 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate and whisk; pour this chocolate mixture into the rest of the egg whites and fold gently, working quickly; pour batter into a 9 X 9 inch brownie pan that you have sprayed with Pam and lined with parchment; bake for 10-12 minutes or until its done; let cool in the pan</div>
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To make the pastry cream layer beat on high speed with the whisk attachment 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp corn starch and 4 large egg yolks until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes; meanwhile combine in a medium saucepan 1 1/3 cups of milk and 1 vanilla bean split and the seeds scraped into the milk and bring to a simmer; fish out the vanilla bean and slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture; scrape this mixture back into the saucepan and and cook over low heat whisking constantly until it thickens, cook an additional 45 seconds; remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let it cool at room temp and chill it</div>
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To assemble line a loaf pan with plastic wrap; cut the cake in half and lay one half in the bottom; then a layer of pastry cream; then a layer of lady fingers; a layer of the raspberry jam; a layer of the pastry cream; a layer of the lady fingers; a layer of the raspberry jam and the other layer of chocolate cake; wrap with the plastic wrap and let it sit overnight in the frig; invert the cake out to a platter removing the plastic wrap and pour on a chocolate sauce (recipe follows); made by heating 4 oz of heavy cream to just under a simmer remove it from the heat and add 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate that is chopped small; let it melt in and whisk to combine.</div>
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My chocolate layered loaf cake cut to see the layers...</div>
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Eggplant Parmesan Re-du</div>
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Instead of the regular breading and frying technique for eggplant Parmesan, I wanted to try an easier and healthier way so I used my broiler instead of a frying pan and added mushrooms, I also made a Frico which is baked grated Parmesan cheese, this adds a nice crunch to the final dish </div>
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I got 2 small eggplants, I like them because they have less seeds so they are less bitter. I cut them lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices; lay them on a sheet pan and brush with olive oil salt and pepper on both sides; roast in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes...</div>
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Make a tomato sauce using whole peeled canned tomatoes, heat a saucepan with a little olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes and crushed garlic; once the garlic starts to sizzle add diced red onion and a pinch of salt; after a few minutes add the can of tomatoes crushing them with your hand as you put them into the pan, add another pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar; simmer and cook for about 45 minutes...</div>
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Make some sauteed mushrooms by slicing Baby Bella mushrooms about 1/4 inch thick and adding to a hot skillet coated with olive oil, cook down a bit and add a pinch of salt; continue to cook for a total of about 10 minutes, add fresh thyme; have ready some goat cheese...</div>
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To assemble spoon some tomato sauce at the bottom of a small gratin dish and place the eggplant in overlapping until you use up all the eggplant; place the mushrooms in and around the eggplant; tuck a few spots with slices of goat cheese; sprinkle some more tomato sauce on but not covering completely place; sprinkle a couple Tbsp of fresh bread crumbs combined with a little olive oil for some crunch; Bake 15 minutes in a 350 oven; serve the Frico (below) on the side for more crunch.</div>
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Make the Frico by grating some Parmesan reggiano mix in a pinch of red pepper flakes, a little black pepper and fresh thyme; place a Tbsp of the grated cheese mixture onto a silpat lined cookie sheet and bake at 425 for about 7-8 minutes or until the cheese turns into a lacy cracker; using a small offset spatula remove it and let it harden which takes only seconds.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Beet and goat cheese salad with salted pistachio's and parsley leaves </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">You can't go wrong with roasted beets and goat cheese. The addition of pistachios and herbs are a great compliment. </span></div>
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Zucchini carparcio</div>
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I used a mandolin to evenly and thinly slice a zucchini then I arranged them on a serving plate; drizzle olive oil, a squeeze of a half a lemon, salt and pepper then some amaranth micro-greens. An easy and different side dish that gets better as it sits.</div>
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I saw this in my Evac Eric (Eric Ripert's) book. He used a piece of Brioche bread, cut it into a round and toasted it, with no oil or anything in the oven. I used a piece of Chibata bread that was a couple days old and needed to be browned in butter in a non-stick pan. This was really good and I immediately thought this would be a good appetizer to serve by cutting smaller "one bite" sizes of bread and toppings, (This wasn't that big, it was cut into a 3 inch circle); So it's just the toasted bread cut into a 3 inch round, top it with about a tablespoon of creme fraiche then pound out some smoked salmon and cut it into a 6 inch round; drape the salmon over the creme fraiche and he tops it with caviar (he said for the salt and crunch), I used the capers that I rinsed then drained well then add a good pinch of Fleur De Sel... really good! Love the idea of pounding the smoked salmon, it make it so tender when you do.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Portabella Mushroom topped with mascarpone cheese, turkey sausage, tri colored baby bell peppers, onions and fresh oregano.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> I made the filling ahead by sauteing the vegetables and browning the sausage, seasoning it all with salt, pepper, fresh thyme and toasted fennel seeds; I marinated the mushroom for a couple hours with olive oil, fresh oregano, salt and pepper and a couple thin slices of garlic; when it came time to assemble and cook it I heated a non stick skillet with a little butter and olive oil then I place the mushroom caps top side down and cooked them about 5 minutes to get the flavors going then flipped it over; top it with mascarpone cheese and the sausage mixture then bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, garnish with fresh oregano; this wasn't meant to have a sauce but the mascarpone cheese ran out of the mushroom completely and mixed with all the juices from the mushroom and the filling and made it's own sauce which turned out to taste really good.</span></div>
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Homemade goat cheese and sage ravioli with crisp prosciutto and baby spinach leaves</div>
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I made some fresh pasta sheets and filled them with a combination of goat cheese, finely chopped prosciutto (that I cooked first) and chopped fresh sage from the garden; I also made two bigger ones (just because) and made a bed with the goat cheese mixture then dropped one egg yolk on each, sealed it and boiled it along with the rest of them and it was really good with the "natural sauce" that an egg yolk creates; using butter, shallots, a little flour and chicken stock I made the sauce (I never use flour in a pasta sauce like this, but I wanted to try it instead of my usual heavy cream I add to thicken) and I liked using the roux (butter and flour); Once the ravioli is done add it to the sauce and cook together for a minute; I dropped in the baby spinach into the turned off pot of water that I made the pasta in and after a minute it was done I topped the dish with it along with the bigger pieces of prosciutto </div>
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Strawberry Tart with Balsamic Syrup and Whipped Cream</div>
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This was great. I made a basic pie dough and after chilling for an hour I rolled it out to a 1/4 inch thickness and about 10 inches wide; place on a Silpat or parchment lined sheet pan and chill for 30 minutes; cut 1 lb of hulled strawberries into 1/4 inch slices and toss with 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cornstarch; immediately arrange them in concentric circles on the dough, starting 1 inch from the edge, overlapping slightly); fold the edges up over the strawberries and refrigerate for 15 minutes; brush the edge of crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, dot about 1 tablespoon of butter (cut into small pieces) on the strawberries; bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. To make the balsamic syrup pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and reduce by about 1/2, it will thicken and the sugar that's already in the vinegar with intensify and you will have a sweet balsamic syrup (the trick is to stop it from cooking at just the right moment, it should be thick like a sauce but not so much that it starts to get bitter and burn. Whip some cream with vanilla and sugar and you have a fantastic dessert. </div>
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Ricotta, Shiitaki and Tomato Tartine's</div>
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On slices of tasty toasted bread top with ....fresh ricotta seasoned with lemon zest, salt and pepper; sauteed shiitaki mushrooms that I cut into good sized pieces with thyme, salt and pepper and top it with these little colorful tomatoes and some Fleur de Sel on top of that for crunch.</div>
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Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Tomato Aioli</div>
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I couldn't believe my eyes when I was shopping at Whole Foods and I came across these zucchini blossoms, they usually don't carry them. I have only seen them at farmer's markets or growing in my yard (one time). I love these Flowers to stuff with ricotta, battered then fried. I combined some ricotta that I drained for a couple hours with an egg, some lemon zest, basil, salt and pepper. Remove the stamen that you will find inside the flower and using a pastry bag, fill with the ricotta. Chill until you are ready to fry. Heat some canola oil in a medium pan, you know it's ready when it starts to shimmer a little. Make the batter by combining a scoop of flour with cold sparkling water, whisking until you have the consistency of heavy cream; That's it, dip in the zucchini blossoms and let the excess drip off, then into the oil. It will take no more that 2-3 minutes and you will have these light as air, crispy blossoms. To make the tomato ailoi I use my mortar and pestle and start with one egg yolk and 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp of tomato paste a quarter tsp of kosher salt; mix with mortar and add a tsp of white wine vinegar; mortar in some olive oil about 1/2 cup or so, mixing the whole time; add a squeeze (about 2 tsp) of lemon and salt and pepper to taste.</div>
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Pork and Prune Roulaud with Sherry Gastrique and Pine nuts </div>
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I served celeriac puree and baby spinach with this. The celeriac is cooked the same as you would do mashed potatoes with the milk and butter added as you mash. The spinach is sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. </div>
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To make the pork and prunes I first soaked the dried prunes in hot boiled water for a couple hours, drain and pour port wine to cover and let it sit at least 15 minutes; cut the pork tenderloin open by cutting lengthwise about 1/2 inch deep then continue to cut as if you are unrolling a spiral; pound out even thinner to more like 1/4 inch; season with salt and pepper, brush on some Dijon mustard and place the port soaked prunes down the center; roll up and tie with butchers string; chill until you are ready to cook it off; sear the pork in a large skillet on all sides then place it into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or so (depending on the size) or until the instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees. Keep the pork warm while you make the gastrique; in the same pan deglaze with vinegar (I think I used Sherry vinegar) about 1/4 cup and a tablespoon of sugar, cook together stirring the sugar to dissolve and add a splash of chicken stock (1/8 cup or so)remove from the heat and swirl in 1-2 Tbsp of butter; plate and drizzle with the gastrique and sprinkle on some toasted pine nuts.</div>
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Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Yellow Zucchini and Wilted Arugula</div>
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I had some leftover ricotta from making the squash blossoms so I decided to add a little flour, and make it into a gnocchi dough. I added just enough to my leftover ricotta filling to make a dough and without over working it, kneed it gently. Roll into a 1/2 inch snake shape and cut about 1 inch pieces. Roll onto a gnocchi tool or the tines of the back of a fork to make grooves. I froze these on a sheet pan while I made the sauce and zucchini. Basically just a few sundried tomatoes, a roasted red pepper and some olive oil buzzed up in a food processor and seasoned. I heated the sauce and after I boiled the gnocchi in salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes I added them to the sauce, along with some Parmesan cheese. I slowly cooked the yellow zucchini in butter and water just to soften but not brown ahead so that was heated and added to the top. I also cooked some arugula and added that. It came out very nice.</div>
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Beet and Goat Cheese Skewers with Pickled Vidallia Onions and Arugula</div>
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Fanned out Roasted Potatoes</div>
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These are just sliced Yukon Gold potatoes that I drizzled with olive oil, melted butter, salt and pepper then roasted in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes. It's a combination of a baked potato and thick potato chips. Next time I will leave them in another 10 minutes so they get even crispier.</div>
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Broccoli Rabe and Bacon Souffle<br />
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This was a basic souffle that I added cooked broccoli rabe and bacon that is cut into smaller pieces and the fat rendered off. It's made by making a bechemel (using 3 Tbsp butter and 3 </div>
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Tbsp flour and 1 1/2 cups of milk) with 3 egg yolks added to it after it's cooked. Whip 5 egg whites and fold the whites into the bechemel, broccoli, bacon and some Gruyere cheese. Put this mixture into a souffle mold that you have buttered and coated with fresh bread crumbs and Parmesan mixed together. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minute. Serve immediately.</div>
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Crispy Polenta Layered Cake with Persillade and fresh tomato salad</div>
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I made the quick cooking polenta but you can use either one and I let it set in a 1 inch layer; (I roasted some diced eggplant, onion, zucchini and garlic for 40 minutes at 400 degrees with olive oil, salt and pepper, ahead of time), I put a layer of vegetables down on the polenta then another layer of the quick cooking polenta (3 minutes); I chilled that and once it was cold I cut it into the desired shape and dredged into flour, egg then Panko bread crumbs; shallow fry in some Canola oil until browned. I chopped some fresh parsley and garlic with kosher salt and this is called a persillade, I sprinkled it over the polenta; tomato salad with pickled onions on the side...very nice...</div>
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Tiny Pasta Salad with Aioli, chives, sun dried tomatoes and cherry tomato slices</div>
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These egg noodles I got in Naples Florida were tiny about 1/2 inch long and 1/8 inch thick. I never saw some so small. I boiled them and made this cold pasta salad. <br />
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Fig Tart with Orange Zabione </div>
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On our last trip to Florida we had dinner at a nice restaurant before going to see the fireworks, and fig tart with orange zabione was the dessert we shared, so I had to recreate it. The tart itself I just made my regular pie crust and I put a bed of fig jam on the bottom, then I just layered on some fresh figs in a decorative manner, dots of butter on the fruit and egg wash and sugar on the dough. The zabione is easy it's just 3 egg yolks, 3 Tbsp of sugar and 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice ;the egg yolks and sugar are whisked together until lightened in color then you add the liquid (usually white wine but I was doing an orange flavored verity) whisking over a pot of simmering water until it triples in volume and thickens which takes about 5 minutes and your done! I also zested the orange and added that in to the zabione for extra flavor. I ended up dusting some confectioners sugar over because it needed to be sweeter (next time I'd sprinkle some sugar on the figs before baking) It was still very good, it's all gone...</div>
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</span>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-17866659222161183482012-06-17T13:59:00.000-04:002012-06-17T14:03:19.571-04:00New idea's for dinner...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hot cherry peppers with fresh goat cheese and garnished with fresh thyme tops. A perfect bite to go with drinks.</div>
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Kale and Gruyere twice baked potatoes</div>
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Coat 2 russet potatoes with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and roast in a 400 degree oven for about an hour or until the potato is cooked all the way through; cut the tops off and scoop out the potato, leaving about 1/4 inch around the edges; mash the potato with butter, warmed milk, salt, pepper, fresh thyme and Gruyere cheese; have ready some sauteed baby kale cooked in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper; fill the bottom with kale and top it with the creamy potato and top again with some more grated Gruyere; place under the broiler to brown; while you brown the filled potato also coat the top with oil and place under the broiler to crisp up and become like a big french fry. I just made a edamame and cherry tomato salad to go on the side.</div>
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Stuffed Baby Bella mushrooms with goat cheese, fresh bread crumbs, Shiitaki mushrooms, shallots and fresh thyme</div>
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I saute the Shiitaki with shallot, mix it the thyme, bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper; fill Baby Bella shells half way with goat cheese; fill the rest of the way with the Shiitaki filling and bake for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees or until the Baby Bella's start to cook down and the filling gets bubbly and browned.</div>
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Leek Tart</div>
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My friend works with a guy that has cooked for Julia Child, and he actually made this exact recipe for her and she loved it. My friend knows me and copied the recipe for me...</div>
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Make a pie dough and line a 10.5 inch tart pan with it, chill for 30 minutes or until firm; preheat the oven to 425; prepare the filling, trim and clean 12 small leeks and roughly chop them; melt 4 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over low heat ; add the leeks, 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste; cook, covered until the leeks are very soft but not browned, about 20 minutes, if the leeks have given off a lot of excess liquid, drain (which I did); combine 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup Creme Fraiche in a medium bowl and mix well, add the leeks and mix again; add 3 slices of Parma ham coarsely chopped and about 3/4 cup of Gruyere cheese; pour the leek mixture into the prepared tart shell and top with 1 more slice of Parma ham chopped and 1/4 cup more Gruyere cheese; season generously with freshly ground black pepper; bake until browned about 40-45 minutes; serve warm or at room temperature.</div>
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Pork tenderloin with bean sprouts, Enoki mushrooms, red chili peppers over vermicelli rice noodles</div>
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I marinated the pork by first cutting pieces about 1 1/2 inch pieces and dropping them into a combination of white wine, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar and honey for about 1-2 hours; drain the pork from the marinade and brown in olive oil on all sides and cook through 90% of the way; remove the pork and set aside while you cook the vegetables, add sliced onion then sliced celery; after a couple minutes add a hand full of bean sprouts and the "noodle-like mushrooms" Enoki mushrooms; add a splash of chicken stock and cook until the vegetables are cooked as you like them and add the pork back in; heat through; soak the vermicelli noodles in boiling water for about 3 minutes and remove to your serving dish then top with the pork mixture; garnish with some celery leaves and thinly sliced red chili. This was a healthy version of a stir fry, I didn't want to add soy sauce and cornstarch, I wanted to keep it clean and healthy. It was very good</div>
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Baby purple and white carrot salad with orange dressing</div>
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It looks like sardines at first glance but Whole Foods had these "just picked looking" baby carrots, that came in 3 colors. I chose the purple and white but they had the orange ones too. I peeled and cleaned up the carrots then braised them in a tsp of butter and a splash of water until they were perfectly tender earlier in the day; I hard boiled 2 eggs and separately chopped them finely; To assemble I plated some greens (arugula and baby kale) on a white plate and laid down the precooked carrots that I cut in half, the eggs over that and the thing that really made this incredible was the orange dressing I made to top it all. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat with a Tbsp of olive oil then add a shallot finely chopped, juice 1 1/2 oranges and about 1 Tbsp of honey into the shallots and cook to reduce; add a pinch of salt and ground black pepper; strain into a small bowl and add the zest of one orange; spoon this over the chopped egg and carrots; season with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper</div>
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Braised chicken thighs with celeriac, potato, onion and pancetta </div>
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I seasoned the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with salt and pepper and browned them skin side down in a stainless steel skillet coated with a little grape seed oil; when the skin is crisp remove the chicken to a plate and drain all but a Tbsp of the fat; add chopped red onion, celeriac and potato chopped; stir around and coat the vegetables in the oil, adding more if you need to, season with salt and pepper; add a splash of white wine and a splash of chicken stock (maybe 1/4 cup each); add the chicken back in and place in a 350 oven for 35 minutes; add a couple handfuls of green seedless grates and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes; remove the chicken and keep warm; reduce the liquid along with the vegetables right in the skillet on top of the stove until you get a nice "sauce" consistency; plate the chicken and spoon some of the vegetables and sauce around. Yum</div>
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Swordfish over tomatoes and capers</div>
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I followed a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa for this. I must have seen this episode a few times and when I was at the store I saw the swordfish, I thought of this, here is<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/swordfish-with-tomatoes-and-capers-recipe/index.html"> the recipe</a>. It was so good, the combination is great. The next morning I heated some of the tomato and capers combination and served a poached egg over and it was excellent!</div>
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Brioche bread pudding with rhubarb and cardamon whipped cream</div>
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I bought some rhubarb because it looked good but wasn't sure what I was going to make with it. I also bought some brioche buns and I thought of a bread pudding when I got them. Little did I know I was going to combine the two ideas. I also had a third idea and it was sticky toffee pudding, I looked it up to see what it was made from because I thought it might be made like a bread pudding, well not really, but one of the ingredients was chopped dates. I decided to add dates and cooked and sweetened rhubarb to my bread pudding. It was a 6 pack of buns and they were all stuck together, so I kept them together and cut open like a sandwich and again so I had 3 layers. In a loaf pan I spread some butter then one layer of brioche; sprinkle on some chopped Medjool dates; then add the middle layer of brioche; and then the rhubarb that I cooked with sugar, a splash of water, a pinch of salt and cardamon to flavor; top with the top layer of the brioche buns and prick all over with the tines of a fork to help it really soak in when you add the custard; to make the custard mix together 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of milk, a generous 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and a tsp of vanilla; pour this custard slowly over the top, it may take about 5 minutes to let it settle and let it soak in by helping it along with the tines of a fork; allow it to sit for about 15 minutes before placing it into a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until the top starts to puff up. The whipped cream is just whipped and flavored with cardamon, vanilla and confectioners sugar, good stuff!</div>
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Rice pudding with cherries and slivered almonds</div>
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I got a message that my new favorite lady Beatrice Peltre was demonstrating her rice pudding recipe for the associates at Google in Cambridge. I get updates from her blog and this came in one morning and we were eating it that night. I didn't make the topping the same because I used what I had which was fresh cherries. Her recipe in her book is topped with strawberries stewed in lemongrass and lime. <a href="http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2008/03/16/coconut-rice-pudding-tapioca-rhubarb-strawberry/">Here is the recipe</a>. I didn't have lemongrass (not something I keep on hand), but I added some lemon zest to the cherries as I stewed them a bit. Mmmm!</div>
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Crudite' Platter served with sour cream, cream cheese, mayo and lemon dip</div>
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I made this and the Gougere's below for a graduation party. The Gougere's are basically a savory version of the shell of a cream puff or profiterole or even the chocolate eclair. The savory version has Gruyere cheese. You can eat these as is or you can fill them, which was the intention here, to fill with chicken salad. There were a few more things made here but I didn't get the pictures.</div>
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<br /></div>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-17328875260029624322012-06-06T13:41:00.001-04:002012-07-11T07:01:04.663-04:00Try some of these idea's for dinner...<br />
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<strong>Tapinade and spinach stuffed chicken breast with roasted</strong> <strong>potatoes and onions</strong></div>
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Pound out chicken breast and cut them in half if they are really big ones; have ready some baby spinach sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper; also have ready kalamata olive tapinade that you buy or it's just finely chopped kalamata olives with garlic (anchovies and olive oil if you like); season the chicken with a little salt and pepper then spread on the olive and spinach; roll up and use a tooth pick to secure; with a fork beat up a couple egg whites in a bowl and have ready some corn starch; dust the chicken with corn starch then coat with some egg white; place into a non-stick skillet and brown on all sides to get crisp; place in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until it's cooked through and the temperature reads 165 degrees.</div>
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For the potatoes; cut the potatoes with or without the skin into desired "fry shape" and coat with olive oil then sprinkle on the salt and pepper; do the same with sliced red onion; spread on a sheet pan; roast in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes tossing a few times for even cooking.</div>
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<strong>Tartine's</strong></div>
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A tartine is an open faced sandwich on toast. I had lots of cheese, tomatoes, an avocado I had to use up, some leftover tapinade (from recipe above), fresh herbs an a couple slices of prosciutto. So what do you do with all these bits of ingredients? Here you go... think of it like pizza but much easier and quicker...</div>
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<strong>Basil pesto and roasted chicken pasta salad</strong></div>
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I roasted a whole chicken and removed the chicken from one breast and about that amount of dark meat, tossed it with some basil pesto and let it soak in, then chill; boil the pasta and while it is hot, I tossed it with the basil pesto to coat, chill; to make the basil pesto I smashed a small garlic clove and added it to the food processor and processed; add a handful of pine nuts and a couple good handfuls of fresh basil leaves and process; add about 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and the juice of 1 lemon, process; add olive oil while the food processor is running until you get a sauce consistency; season with salt and pepper to taste; you may want a bit more lemon or cheese, you be the judge. </div>
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To bring it all together toss the chicken and the pasta into a bowl and add cherry tomatoes (sliced or whole), toasted pine nuts, chopped sundried tomatoes and fresh basil. </div>
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I like this served this at room temperature, but cold is good too.</div>
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<strong>Eggplant ravioli with roasted haricots vert, onion and mushrooms in a basil pesto sauce</strong></div>
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I had made these ravioli a month or two ago and they were sitting in the freezer ready for me to boil. I had some pesto leftover from the "pesto chicken pasta" I made so this came together easy!!! I roasted the mushrooms, onion and haricots for about 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees just with olive oil, salt and pepper. So I tossed all the components together and grated some Parmesan cheese over top. This was excellent with a glass of red wine!!</div>
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<strong>Shittake mushroom caps with Gruyere and Thyme</strong></div>
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I have this thing for mushrooms all of a sudden, which is good because they are so good for you. I also made some regular stuffed mushrooms using button mushrooms, with a shittake, shallot, fresh bread crumbs, parsley and goat cheese filling (which I didn't take a picture of for some reason). I had 3 shittake mushrooms left over so I decided to just simply cook them in butter and olive oil for a few minutes then remove to a baking dish cap side up and topped each one with a few small slices of Gruyere then under the broiler to melt the cheese; remove from the oven and top with a bit of fresh thyme from the garden. Good stuff!</div>
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<strong>Turkey and Bella mushroom burgers with guacamole, tomato and onion</strong></div>
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If I didn't tell you, you would have thought that was beef! Not at all...I took a whole package of Bella mushrooms; cleaned and trimmed them then into a food processor with a shallot; cook this mixture in olive oil with salt and pepper; once its good and cooked down add fresh thyme and check for seasoning; let it cool then add a pound of ground dark turkey meat; season and fry up a small bit to make sure it's perfect; form into patties. I made some guacamole by simply chopping up an avocado and mix in some salt, lime juice and cilantro. These buns were skinny whole wheat and spelt buns you will find at Whole Foods. </div>
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<strong>Brie on fresh Baguette slices topped with apricot pepper jelly</strong></div>
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I saw Laura Calder (French Food at Home show) make a sandwich of just butter and Brie on a Baguette so I did something similar, made without the butter but with the apricot pepper jelly I just came across, and sliced for an appetizer instead of her "hogie" style for a train ride. Nice with drinks, it's like a big cracker with cheese and jam.</div>
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<strong>Chocolate crepes with cherry Creme Anglaise</strong></div>
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I kept seeing these chocolate crepes in my new book "La Tartine Gourmande". I finally said OK, it's time to make these. She (Bea) suggested serving them with thickened creme anglaise which is basically ice cream before it's churned, thickened with a little cornstarch. I just got these great cherries and wanted to use them. I did that by infusing some cherry flavor into the milk as I was making the creme anglaise. You usually heat milk and scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean, add seeds and the bean to the milk, then let it sit covered off the heat for 30 minutes, then strain out the bean. I added some crushed cherries along with the vanilla bean to give it a pink color and of course the flavor. Here is her <a href="http://whatlibertyate.com/2012/04/02/la-tartine-gourmande-cookbook-and-chocolate-crepes/">chocolate crepe recipe</a>. For the thickened creme anglaise heat to just under a boil 1 cup of whole milk, 1 vanilla bean, cut open and scraped and about 10 cherries cut open and crushed slightly; cover and let steep for 30 minutes; whisk together 3 egg yolks and 2 Tbsp sugar until lightened in color and ribbon-y; add a tsp of corn starch to the egg yolk mixture and stir in; strain the milk and heat it gently until you see bits of steam; slowly whisk in the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture and then back into the pan; place over low heat and stir with a wooden spoon; once it coats the back of the spoon it's done, this takes about 5-7 minutes; I folded in some chopped cherries and filled the chocolate crepes with the creme anglaise, topped with powdered sugar.</div>
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<strong>Raspberry, lady finger and creme anglaise triffle topped with whipped cream</strong></div>
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I had some creme anglaise left over from the chocolate crepe dish so I just layered in the fresh raspberries, anglaise and lady fingers then topped with sweetened whipped cream. I let it sit overnight to get the lady fingers really soft (like a tiramisu) yum!</div>
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<br />Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-41508010313100794792012-06-04T22:02:00.000-04:002012-06-04T22:02:40.682-04:00Restaurant Review - Armsby Abbey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This review is a couple months in the making. We've been a total of three times, but I'm just getting to this now. I think maybe I just wanted to keep going so I'd have more delicious things to write about! I would have to say that this place is just about our favorite restaurant these days.<br />
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<a href="http://www.armsbyabbey.com/" target="_blank">Armsby Abbey</a> is in downtown Worcester, between the courthouses on Main Street. As you walk by and peek in the front door, at first glance it looks like a dark, dive-y bar. In reality...that description of the look of the place wouldn't be far off. But quickly you notice that the <a href="http://armsbyabbey.com/bottles/" target="_blank">beer selection</a> is vast, focusing on mostly Belgian style beers. There also seems to be a desire to feature local New England brews. Next you notice the <a href="http://armsbyabbey.com/spirits/" target="_blank">selection of craft cocktails</a> made with all fresh ingredients and artisan spirits. It makes sense that the place was featured in <a href="http://www.winemag.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine/Web-2011/Five-Beer-Trailblazers/" target="_blank">Wine Enthusiast Magazine</a>.<br />
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Next the food. The menu seems to change weekly (if not more often). They always feature locally produced meats and cheeses on "slates" that include appropriate condiments. All menu items feature local ingredients, simply prepared. The last two trips to the restaurant featured the aroma of their house cured bacon being smoked.<br />
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We've been twice on Sundays for brunch. Below are the items we had this past Sunday (copied from their online menu).<br />
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<b><i>Onion Frittata</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Caramelized Sweet Onion, Shaved Red Onion, fresh Scallion and Gruyere with Local Organic</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Eggs from Gibson’s Dairy Farm served with a side of fresh Greens from Berberian Farm</i></b></div>
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<b><i>dressed in a Red Wine Vinaigrette</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Pig & Grits</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder, Spicy Creole Sauce made with Victory Hop Devil, Vermont</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Cheddar & Scallion Grits, Bacon braised Tuscan Kale, one 145˚ Local organic egg from</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Gibson’s Dairy Farm</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Belgian Sugar Waffle</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Housemade to order with Belgian Pearl Sugar and Urthel Samaranth topped with a Rhubarb-</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Strawberry Compote and Mint Whipped Cream</i></b></div>
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As far as drinks, I ordered from their "Bloody Mary Bar" (Right Gin infused with peppercorns, house bloody mary mix, garnished with house pickled asparagus, cocktail onions and a slice of house cured bacon). Jeanne had the "Fleur de Violette" which was Crème Yvette Liqueur and Prosecco</div>
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with a candied Wild Hibiscus Flower.</div>
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So in summary, two thumbs up. Worth the trip to Worcester.....</div>
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<br />JeanneandTonyGoToFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16359460036761810872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-14511134045112030222012-05-30T17:53:00.000-04:002012-05-30T17:59:28.988-04:00Healthy dinner ideas<br />
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Lemon cous cous with swiss chard and turkey kielbasa</div>
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I combined 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice, seasoned it with salt and pepper and added that to 1 cup of dry uncooked cous cous. After it absorbed it all it was still slightly hard; I was watching a show where the chef said "do this and once the liquid is absorbed it's ready to eat". I really just wanted to try this but wasn't planning on having it for dinner that night. Well it went in the refrigerator and the next day I made this dish. </div>
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I got some turkey kielbasa and cut it in half lengthwise; Sear the kielbasa in a skillet then add chopped onions (with some olive oil too) and the stems of swiss chard until tender then added the swiss chard greens and cooked until tender; add the cous cous and some chicken stock; let it all simmer together until the kielbasa is cooked all the way and the flavors meld. I plated it and sprinkled on some amaranth micro greens.</div>
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Homemade pizza with tomato sauce, Madeira mushrooms, thyme cream cheese, fresh mozzarella, lemon zest and fresh basil.</div>
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Yum!</div>
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Bechamel over soft boiled eggs</div>
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We watched Jacques Pepin on his show "Essential Pepin", it was his show on eggs. He started the show with this easy recipe. He soft boiled the eggs by cooking them in boiling water for 6 minutes ( make a hole in the rounder end of the egg with a push pin before adding it to the boiling water). When they have cooked for 6 minutes drain and rinse in cold water, let the eggs sit in ice water and get really cold. Peel them by lightly tapping all around and hold them under running cold water while peeling and put them aside while you make the spinach and the bechamel.</div>
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Just saute some baby spinach in olive oil and garlic until you taste it and it's perfectly done (pinch of salt). To make the Bechamel, melt 1 Tbsp of butter and whisk in 1 Tbsp of flour in a skillet to make a roux, then add about a cup of milk. Whisk and cook until it thickens and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes to ensure that the raw flour taste is gone. Season the bechamel with salt, pepper and fresh nutmeg. Place the spinach in a baking dish and nestle the soft boiled eggs in, sprinkle on some Gruyere and top each egg with bechamel; place under the broiler just until the bechamel turns a golden brown and serve. </div>
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Here is what it looks like when you plate it and cut open the soft boiled eggs. Serve with toast and it's really good!!<br />
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Spanish Tortilla</div>
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I had never made this Spanish Tapas. It's very popular in Spanish homes and I keep saying...." I gotta make one of those Spanish tortilla's some day...". I made it because I was watching a show called "From Spain with Love". The chef she went to see made one and it was almost under cooked in the center. I tried to do that but it was kind of cooked all the way through but still very good!! It's potatoes and onions with eggs and salt and it's cooked in alot of olive oil. <a href="http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas/r/tortilla.htm">Here is the recipe</a> I followed.</div>
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Grilled pork chop, grilled potato with aioli and baby spinach </div>
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I brined these good looking pork chops with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt and about 1.5 quarts of water, for about 2 hours. Tony lit the charcoal grill; he put these potatoes into an aluminum foil pouch with olive oil, salt and pepper; he gave the potatoes a head start on the grill, off the heat then added the pork and made some great grill marks and cooked them perfectly. I sauteed some baby spinach with olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar and some re hydrated raisins. I made an aioli with garlic, egg yolk, mustard, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil. I served the aioli (below) with the potatoes.</div>
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Panzanella Salad</div>
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I had alot of tomatoes and alot of bread so I thought I'd make this. I made a dressing with equal parts red wine vinegar and olive oil, about 2 tsp of Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. I toasted some flavorful bakery bread, chopped in 1" squares and place in a serving bowl. I had alot of cherry tomatoes (usually you use fresh summer tomatoes and they are not heated), but I added some olive oil to a non-stick skillet and tossed in cherry tomatoes that I cut in half and about 1/2 of an onion sliced; heat through just to slightly cook the onion but so it's still crisp, and to heat through the tomatoes just to bring out the flavor. Toss this tomato mix on top of the toasted bread in the bowl and add some of the dressing; toss and let it sit for 5 minutes then toss again (add more dressing if it needs it). Season with salt and pepper to taste.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PRWgHQS7cGKlg6b3DLWfZK_-Sjgw3w30yB3VffC1BOMokrFdlcndVKHB1YxmB7R7Hb-4VS8m86j93vvpcbVmr4acBxwvHNfSp56Fggr5N2adOMaRxZ1N6Yh95Xucr0vz9R5iBotS7g/s1600/100_4944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PRWgHQS7cGKlg6b3DLWfZK_-Sjgw3w30yB3VffC1BOMokrFdlcndVKHB1YxmB7R7Hb-4VS8m86j93vvpcbVmr4acBxwvHNfSp56Fggr5N2adOMaRxZ1N6Yh95Xucr0vz9R5iBotS7g/s320/100_4944.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mushroom Sheppard Pie</div>
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Here is the mushroom Sheppard's pie, plated.</div>
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This was so good and easy to make and it's vegetarian. I simply made some mashed potatoes seasoned with Gruyere cheese at the end. Simultaneously I made the mushrooms; rehydrate about 1 cup of dried mushrooms with hot water(about 15 minutes), once re hydrated chop them; saute thickly sliced fresh Baby Bella mushrooms in olive oil and butter for about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper; add 1/2 cup of red wine and let it reduce for 4-5 minutes; add about 1/4 cup of the liquid that you re hydrated the mushrooms in and cook it until most of the liquid is gone; season with fresh chopped thyme. Put some olive oil on the bottom of a gratin dish and layer in the mushrooms and top it with the Gruyere mashed potatoes; place into a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes until the top starts to brown.</div>
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I served the mushroom Sheppard's pie with the Panzanella salad, very good combination.</div>
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Chocolate Cake with Chantilly Cream</div>
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This was good (sure it's healthy), there is no flour in it... just eggs, butter, sugar and chocolate. It's from my favorite lady Laura Calder <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/craggy-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html">here is her recipe.</a> </div>
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Chantilly cream is a fancy way of saying whipped cream with sugar and vanilla. </div>
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</div>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-81036775157925218752012-05-21T20:46:00.001-04:002012-05-22T15:51:51.208-04:00More good food....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0WK_6MN0QtC3GO-47koR0hMWZq1N9kevi_pRkBSfeWa3-R3Bq2fZyxWL9hKfUFgCtBWa4PIAg3WyaH-P4fEuqMHDsAw7X_rH-L6CW9dUQalW1Vbtph1yMOPO7e9gh3PtKRdiBFYlUA/s1600/100_4876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0WK_6MN0QtC3GO-47koR0hMWZq1N9kevi_pRkBSfeWa3-R3Bq2fZyxWL9hKfUFgCtBWa4PIAg3WyaH-P4fEuqMHDsAw7X_rH-L6CW9dUQalW1Vbtph1yMOPO7e9gh3PtKRdiBFYlUA/s320/100_4876.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Chocolate covered strawberries</div>
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I use 60%-70% chocolate and I temper it by melting about 3-4 oz chocolate over simmering water in a double boiler and then remove it from the heat and add 1-2 oz more chopped chocolate and let that melt in. This is an easy way of tempering chocolate, by bringing the temperature up then back down. This ensures that when the chocolate dries it won't have that dull chalky look.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINlU-BGCfJEFiWg4gXoyZQ0NOZFFlceEF8nbL-Is3xqdCi1S0_mbYrYpVIUhjSv2htzVgyJ4hPuiKxhabAdHYyAC25feGF1b1UMeMbyr8fb4P6_y4N7a0mY1eRa-oSxUSlwUxGJAIWw/s1600/100_4874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINlU-BGCfJEFiWg4gXoyZQ0NOZFFlceEF8nbL-Is3xqdCi1S0_mbYrYpVIUhjSv2htzVgyJ4hPuiKxhabAdHYyAC25feGF1b1UMeMbyr8fb4P6_y4N7a0mY1eRa-oSxUSlwUxGJAIWw/s320/100_4874.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Red and Yellow Beets with Goat Cheese</div>
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I roasted these beets by leaving them whole and wrapping each color individually in aluminum foil, tightly and in the oven for about an hour at 400 degrees (these were big ones). After they cooled slightly just cut off the ends and with a paper towel I just rub off the skins. Sliced and layered with goat cheese then over some greens and toast on the side. I also cut up the green tops of the beets (which is basically Swiss chard) and sauteed them in some olive oil and garlic. </div>
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Corn relish with Morbier cheese and crusty bread.</div>
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This was a mish-mosh but it worked. It was an appetizer I made one night just to nibble on with drinks. I got this fresh looking corn on the cob and wanted to use it. I just cut the corn off the cob and sauteed it with some butter and sliced shallots. After just about 1-2 minutes I added a little apple cider vinegar, a tiny bit of sugar to balance the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper (basically make a dressing right in the pan). Remove it from the heat and add chopped basil, it total it cooked for 5-6 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVifgAu6crUbh-iIshuIyz46yRAgTRNXcPWIunW8Nv7egVykU_AKAtCtAqXs3fD5vVvsaiXYcwEwv515L_fGKvLzgBYAjg6WhGOPS8NoLQc5KelDDL8rsjcs2R1_qaX0uwX9mGly6iaw/s1600/100_4881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVifgAu6crUbh-iIshuIyz46yRAgTRNXcPWIunW8Nv7egVykU_AKAtCtAqXs3fD5vVvsaiXYcwEwv515L_fGKvLzgBYAjg6WhGOPS8NoLQc5KelDDL8rsjcs2R1_qaX0uwX9mGly6iaw/s320/100_4881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hollandaise-glazed Sea Bass over Shiitaki and Snap Peas</div>
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This was goood! I followed a recipe from "The White Barn Inn" cookbook. It called for Halibut, but there wasn't any available at the store so I got this fresh looking Bass. Basically you sear the fish and cook it pretty much all the way and top it with a hollandaise that is flavored with champagne vinegar, white wine, parsley and shallot. This is spooned over the top of the fish and just finished under the broiler until its browned. Next time I will use a halibut or even cod and hide some quinoa or brown rice under the fish along with the vegetables (the mushrooms went perfectly with this). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-q3T-Au57ZuGFbrFx7w6bbA-IvQ4tUBkapcHOmO9CziqsM6R6y51LXwPise1Xehn8-zG0Krq9QBFsScR__omqCnPHLub8FixGOQ-3jacLzkaOgBYF52Ah8OEl8Y7r_znKI7XWXCykQ/s1600/100_4891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-q3T-Au57ZuGFbrFx7w6bbA-IvQ4tUBkapcHOmO9CziqsM6R6y51LXwPise1Xehn8-zG0Krq9QBFsScR__omqCnPHLub8FixGOQ-3jacLzkaOgBYF52Ah8OEl8Y7r_znKI7XWXCykQ/s320/100_4891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Baby artichokes with Edemame, shallots and basil</div>
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I never make artichokes because it just seems like so much work and waste to get to the heart (I buy the cans), but I saw these baby artichokes that don't have the choke in them so its minimal trimming. It worked out to be really good and I will buy these again. Basically I browned the artichokes in olive oil with some leeks, garlic, salt, pepper and edamame then add a splash of water and braised them for 15 minutes until they were tender then finish with some lemon juice and fresh basil. Left overs went very nicely with some homemade pasta (which I didn't take a picture of ) the next night.</div>
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Zucchini spaghetti with Amaranth sprouts and fresh basil</div>
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I have been doing this a lot lately, its just julienne strips of zucchini tossed with olive oil in a skillet for no more than 5 minutes, toss in what you like I put in salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and the basil and amaranth sprouts</div>
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A friend asked me to make some cornbread for a party so I wanted to test this recipe I found to make sure it comes out perfectly. It did <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grandmothers-buttermilk-cornbread/">here it is</a>..<br />
I also made some guacamole here.</div>
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<br />Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-67465803058039960522012-05-13T18:49:00.000-04:002012-05-13T18:51:29.143-04:00Friday's dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had bought a cookbook a month or two ago, that I have been raving about called La Tartine Gourmande by Beatrice Peltre. I saw that she was going to be on the Martha Stewart show, today! I watched it and was inspired to make a Tartine (she made them on the show), which she says is the French way of saying an open faced sandwich. All this time I thought I was making bruchetta but I was making tartines. So I didn't have all ingredients she had on the show but I just used what I had and they were scrumptious!</div>
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I slow roasted some tomatoes with balsamic, oil, salt and pepper. I had this really good whole wheat bread that I toasted up and spread goat cheese onto, I grated some lemon zest over that and then some baby kale's, baby spinach and baby chard over that then I topped with the tomatoes. Of coarse you finish it with Fleur De Sel, black pepper and olive oil.</div>
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Slow baked sweet onion.</div>
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I know some of you are saying "What, an onion?" Yes an onion! I saw Laura Calder do this on her show and I have been wanting to make it and I finally did. You put it in the oven on a bed of salt if necessary ( I didn't have to do that, mine stood up just fine). Stab it a couple times so it doesn't explode. I didn't have my temperature up high enough so (it actually was something I was planning on serving the night before but it wasn't done yet) I decided to continue cooking it the next day which worked out just fine. </div>
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<a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/baked-onions-with-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html">Here is her recipe</a> so you don't have to continue it the next day. It was topped with this aioli, that is easy and so good. It reminds me of a "blooming onion" that you'd get at Outback restaurants, but without the deep fry and oily exterior.</div>
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Filet Mignon with Stilton Cream Sauce and Bay Mashed Potato with a Mushroom and Caramelized onion "Pie"</div>
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This picture doesn't show how good the tasted! I have to be honest, it was gooooooood! Tony and I shared one big Filet Mignon and of course it was plenty for me and Tony agreed it was plenty. I made the mashed potatoes as you would but pour some milk of your choice into a small saucepan and heat it with a couple bay leaves; bring it to just under a boil, shut off the heat; cover and let it steep for 20 minutes; remove the bay and reheat it before adding it to the potatoes as you mash them with butter (it's amazing the flavor that you get from the bay infused milk). </div>
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For the "Pie" I re hydrated some gourmet blend mushrooms (portabella, oyster, shiitake, porcini and chanterelle) and while they re hydrated in hot water I caramelized 2 onions. Once the onions were done I buzzed up the re hydrated mushrooms in the food processor and add them to the onions along with a little of the mushroom water. Cook together for a minute and turn off the heat. In ramekins I buttered them and filled half way with the onion and mushroom mixture and I topped them with a round of puff pastry, egg wash the top and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or so. </div>
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For the Filet Steak itself I minced up some fresh sage, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper and just rubbed it all over the filet (top, bottom and sides). I let it set there at room temperature for about 30 minutes. I thought I would pan sear it instead of starting the charcoal grill and everything. So olive oil and butter in the skillet and brown the filet on all sides (6 sides). I put it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. I let it rest about 5 minutes before slicing it into portions for the two of us. </div>
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For the Stilton cheese sauce I heated a splash of cream (about 1/4 cup) in a small saucepan and added some Stilton cheese about 2 Tbsp worth (I didn't measure). Cook it and watch it, you want to melt the cheese into the cream and cook is on medium heat to thicken slightly. It also thickens slightly as it sits and cools slightly.</div>
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Everything came together like a dream with a glass of Old Vine Zinfandel it was a great dinner.</div>
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I made this lemon meringue pie for dessert and it was goooood! I basically made a graham cracker crust but I added some ground walnuts into the mix and baked it off. I made a lemon curd and topped it with the hot method meringue. Tony torched the top of the meringue and did a nice job!</div>
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</div>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-11519086860990790172012-05-10T20:37:00.001-04:002012-05-10T20:37:44.850-04:00Some more healthy food choices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love my whole chickens! I picked one up and removed the breasts for the chicken saltimbocca (below) and I broke down the rest to make some chicken stock (and chicken salad for sandwiches for lunch the next day). I had the pot of stock simmering away for a few hours on the back burner, so it was right there when I needed a couple ladles full for the sauce I made for the saltimbocca.</div>
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I made this chicken saltimbocca, which was easy, quick and delicious! Its chicken that's pounded out to about 1/8 inch thick and I sliced each chicken breast in half and made 4 smaller ones (out of 2 chicken breasts). Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, then I placed a few sage leaves on each, a slice of prosciutto and a grating of Gruyere cheese. I rolled them up and secured with a toothpick. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to finish them. When it came time to cook them I heated a skillet with butter and oil then browned the chicken on all sides. I ladled in some chicken stock and a squeeze of lemon juice to deglaze, cover the pan and simmered gently for about 8-10 minutes to cook the chicken through. Remove the chicken to a warm oven, add some fresh sage leaves to the pan and reduce the stock and lemon juice that's in the pan to a nice, slightly thicker consistency then swirl in a tablespoon of butter off the heat. Spoon the sauce over the chicken once it's plated. </div>
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I made a salad using baby Swiss chard, baby spinach and baby kales, grapes, tomatoes and walnuts. I also made a walnut-Graham cracker "soil", we had at a restaurant recently. I crushed some walnuts and Graham crackers to a powder and added a little cinnamon and a pinch of salt. This "soil" is placed under the salad and it's a nice surprise that you get under the salad. </div>
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I made this raw salad by cutting long strips of the outside of the zucchini until you get to the softer center (which I used differently), and tossed with a dressing made of a baby bit of grated garlic, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and olive oil. I chopped up the center of the zucchini and sauteed it in a little butter and olive oil to brown, season with salt and pepper. Good stuff.</div>
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I happened to be watching my favorite chef show, French Food at Home, Laura Calder and she was doing a show on being Thrifty with French food. She made this quick lentil soup. <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/cream-of-lentil-soup-with-chorizo-croutes-recipe/index.html">Here is her recipe</a>, I followed the general idea but topped it with some prosciutto that I cooked in a skillet briefly to brown it slightly.</div>
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These Bosc pears looked so good at the store so I got them just figuring I'd put them in a salad or something but I did this instead. I poured the rest of a red wine bottle in a pot (maybe it was about 2 small glasses worth and dissolved about 2/3 cup of sugar and water to cover the pears. I peeled the pears and left them whole and added them to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover for an hour or so until it's tender when you Pierce it with the tip of a knife. I let it sit in the liquid to cool slightly, remove the pears and reduce some of the liquid until a syrupy consistency. I spooned it over the top and let it fall onto the plate. </div>
<br />Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-29159621315821491322012-04-29T19:37:00.000-04:002012-04-29T19:38:26.284-04:00FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD<div style="text-align: center;">
We had a groupon for <a href="http://www.incontrorestaurant.com/">Incontro in Franklin</a> and we used it Friday night. We shared an appetizer of prosciutto and house made mozzarella served with crostini toasts and a balsamic drizzle. I had the special risotto which was a chicken and basil pesto with sun dried tomatoes. Tony's main dish was Fillet Mignon Au poirve with mashed potatoes and wild mushrooms. We weren't going to have dessert but the bartender Aaron, (we always sit at the bar to eat) talked us into it. We shared a creme brulee which was good with a drizzle of chocolate over top and some fresh strawberries. </div>
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Saturday we had an open house (again) and so we had to kill time....off to lunch we went. We just went last weekend to <a href="http://armsbyabbey.com/" target="_blank">Armsby Abbey</a> in Worcester with friends for the first time and we shared a bunch of pizzas, salads and appetizers. It was so good that we decided to go there for lunch and try some more of their creations. We sat at the bar and we were handed to brunch menu,<a href="http://armsbyabbey.com/brunch/"> here it is.</a> We shared the beet salad and the cauliflower pizza. Then for "dessert" we shared the griddle cake stack. For a drink I had the Fleur de Violette and Tony had a couple of the local <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/357/73008" target="_blank">New England Galxay</a> brews. We left there feeling very satisfied!</div>
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I made this risotto (maybe inspired by the one I had at Incontro of Friday) on Saturday when Tony went to a charity poker tournament at a friends house. I used some dried porcini reconstituted, some sun dried tomatoes, rosemary and caramelized onions. I also used some homemade chicken stock which makes a big difference. I drizzled some really good extra virgin olive oil around the plated risotto, this really adds something. </div>
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I wanted to bake something on Saturday night. I thought of this homemade apple sauce that I've been making my my new cookbook <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590307623/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=neenbbbl-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1590307623">La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=neenbbbl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1590307623" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
. I had an idea to use the apple sauce in a healthy cake that I would invent. I made it and I thought it was good but it needed something. Well the next day after it sat in the frig and got nice and cold I thought it was very good. I'm still working on it though...</div>
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For lunch on Sunday I made some arroncini with the leftover risotto. I thought I'd put some earthy goat cheese in the center of the risotto because all the flavors in the risotto are very earthy. I tend to make arroncini the day after a risotto dinner because there is usually leftovers. Form the balls with cheese in the center then coat each ball in flour, egg then Panko. Chill in the frig for at least 15 minutes and brown in a skillet with olive oil and butter. Place into a 350 oven for about 10 minutes to heat through all the way to the cheese. I served the arroncini over a bed of the leftover mushroom sauce (leftover from <a href="http://www.scottconant.com/home" target="_blank">Scott Conant</a>'s gnudi with mushroom sauce I made during the week) and an arugula salad with dried cherries.<br />
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Tony smoked some ribs for tonight's dinner and damn they were good! Nice amount of sweetness and spice and lots of great flavor (he will have to tell you what he put in it). <br />
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I made this potato and cannelloni bean "puree, gratin". I boiled 4 Yukon gold potatoes and drained them well. In a food processor add 1 garlic clove, 1 can of drained beans and puree; add the drained potatoes, 1 tsp of kosher salt, 2 tbsp of butter; puree with heated chicken stock until the desired consistency (like mashed potato). Put into a buttered gratin dish and top with Parmesan. Broil to brown the top and serve.<br />
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I had bought a big container of baby kale, so it keeps coming up on our menus. This time I made an aioli with an egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil then added Parmesan cheese for a "Caesar" type dressing. I added some shaved carrot strips to it for sweetness.<br />
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Here it is all together, good stuff!</div>
<br />Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-80243043440532871562012-04-27T08:50:00.000-04:002012-04-27T08:50:17.693-04:00healthy weekday meals, and some treats...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been making a roasted chicken on Monday's lately, I like it because it's easy, you have a delicious and great comfort meal with the option to make chicken soup, stock or just left over chicken for chicken salad sandwiches the next day. I make it different every week....different herbs, sometimes lemon in the carcass, sometimes I baste it every 15 minutes, sometimes no basting. I think the best so far is to leave the chicken out at room temperature for an hour or even slightly longer so it gets closer to room temperature (which helps with even cooking), separate the skin from the flesh on the breasts and "schmear" 1-2 Tbsp of softened butter under the skin of each side of the chicken breast; and make sure the skin is dry because the skin will never get crisp if its not dry. I like thyme or rosemary in the carcass and even under the skin with the butter. Make sure to season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper ( it really comes through in the end), season the skin with kosher salt and pepper, tie the legs together and put it in a hot oven, 500 degrees for 15 minutes in the upper third rack. After the chicken is in there for 15 minutes turn down the temperature to 350 and roast about another hour, sometimes an hour and 15 minutes. It depends on the size, I think Whole Foods usually gives me a 3 1/2 to 4 Lb bird. Baste by brushing the fat that drips to the bottom of the pan ( I use a cast iron skillet and rest the chicken on either carrots or celery, just to keep it off the drippings), every 15 minutes or so. You want to take the temperature between the leg and thigh and it should be about 175-180 degrees or so (165 degrees, because of the bones comes out sightly under-done). </div>
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I served slices of fresh whole wheat boule and a baby kale salad with roasted tomatoes and Parmesan along with the roast chicken. </div>
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Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi with a Porcini Mushroom Puree</div>
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I saw this on the show "the best thing I ever made, Italian". This was Scott Conant's recipe, who is a chef with Italian restaurants and he is one of the judges on Chopped. He made this Gnudi which is the filling of a ravioli without the pasta. I found the recipe for you <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/scott-conant/spinach-and-ricotta-gnudi-recipe/index.html">here</a>. It's really good and for someone who hasn't made their own pasta, this is a good start. We loved the mushroom sauce, and the light as air gnudi... no fat in the sauce and very healthy. Good stuff!!</div>
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Pork tenderloin and Prunes</div>
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I love this Jacques Pepin recipe that I have made a few times in the past. I served millet and slow cooked shaved fennel which went very nicely with the pork. To make 2 servings this is what I did. Soak about 12 dried prunes in hot water for 1-2 hours then drain and cover with port wine until you are ready to cook them. Cut 1 pork tenderloin into 2 inch angled pieces, season with salt and pepper. Brown the pork in a saute pan with a little canola oil for about 5 minutes then remove to a warm oven while you make the sauce. Add a Tbsp of shallots for 30 seconds then 1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup chicken stock and the port and prunes, reduce for about 5 minutes until lightly thickened. Add a scant Tbsp of black-currant jam (or similar) and a scant Tbsp of ketchup. Heat to melt the jam and add the pork with juices back into the sauce, heat through. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.</div>
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At Whole Foods they had a big package of raspberries on sale for 5.99 where the tiny pint size was 4.99 so I grabbed the big one. I decided to make a fresh raspberry sauce by dropping some into a blender with a squeeze of lemon juice and a couple Tbsp of confectioners sugar. Blend it and strain it, then add whole raspberries. I used it for 2 desserts this week, here they are....</div>
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This one has the fruit puree and a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt and fresh mint.</div>
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This one has the fruit puree with some homemade vanilla creme anglaise (vanilla beans make all the difference). When you make the creme anglaise it's just egg yolks so I was left with 2 egg whites and I decided to whip them with 1/4 cup of sugar until stiff peaks then I folded in some ground almonds (almond flour) and a pinch of salt. I dropped them on a Silpat lined cookie sheet and made some cookies. 300 degree oven for about 45 minutes and they went nicely on top of this dessert.</div>
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<br /></div>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33977897729160236.post-87202120356148968712012-04-23T16:27:00.000-04:002012-04-23T16:29:14.111-04:00Weekend meals.<div style="text-align: center;">
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Appetizer on Friday was this homemade hummus, which is very simple to make. <br />
In the bowl of a food processor add a small garlic clove, drained and rinsed chick peas the zest and juice of a lemon to taste, a splash of water, salt, pepper and olive oil blended in while the machine is running until the right consistency is reached. Usually there is Tahini added to this and no water. I don't think Tahini is necessary and the water is added so you use less olive oil.</div>
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The main dish was skirt steak that Tony grilled on the charcoal fire. I made polenta with fresh rosemary and thyme. After making it and while it's still warm pour it into a loaf pan or whatever shape you like (line the pan with plastic wrap so you can easily remove it later) and let it set in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil and butter then add a 1 inch slice of the polenta and sear on both sides. I was trying to use up what I had on hand for the vegetable and I had some green grapes, I decided to roast them with a little butter. I have had roasted grapes but just a handful mixed with other savory ingredients. After roasting I added some toasted pine nuts and quark ( a European style soft cheese that tastes like a cross between cream cheese and sour cream). I also made a red wine sauce to go over the skirt steak. Tony thought the grapes were too much (acid/sweet with the red wine sauce, but I liked it). </div>
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Dessert on Friday was this hazelnut roulaud with chocolate and whipped cream in the center and fresh strawberries sweetened with vanilla sugar and a splash of Triple Sec to create a bit of a sauce for the strawberries. I do love a good dessert!</div>
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Lettuce wraps. </div>
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This was something I saw at a restaurant recently and I thought it was a good idea to make at home. Well the flavors were good but I found it very hard to eat, I ended up just putting all the ingredients onto my plate and ate it with a fork. Tony ate it the way I intended with the lettuce. I flavored the cellophane noodles by sauteing with fresh ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. I made some guacamole, some left over hummus from the other night and stir fried red pepper strips. I added sliced tomato and some clover sprouts. <br />
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Salad of fingerling potatoes and hard boiled eggs<br />
I layered in this serving dish some boiled, then peeled fingerling potatoes, a splash of white wine and a good sprinkling of salt (while the potatoes are still hot pour in some white wine and it absorbs into the potatoes to add a nice flavor), some hard boiled eggs and arugula. I sprinkled on some goat cheese and some aioli (homemade mayonnaise with garlic, mustard, lemon juice, egg yolk and olive oil).<br />
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Apple sauce apple tart<br />
I had some homemade apple sauce in the frig and some apples, so I figured I'd whip up some pastry dough and make my favorite thing which is an apple tart. I saw Laura Calder make a different version of an apple tart by first putting down a bed of apple sauce, then some sliced apples over that, so that's what I did. Good for a change but something about the simpler version I like better with just a sprinkling of sugar above and below a layer of sliced apples and a bit of butter on top.<br />
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<br /></div>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021439843602242676noreply@blogger.com0