A Nice Dinner - A Salad of Fruit, Fennel and Beets with Herbed Goat Cheese along with a Salami and Onion Pizza

FOR THE SALAD
I tend to use whatever I have around so the ingredients can be altered, but the base recipe is a fruit and fennel salad. I really love the addition of beets and goat cheese. Some nice greens can be used as a base for the rest.


Ingredient:

Slice all into thin Julianne strips
1 Fennel - a small bulb
1 Carrot
1 Celery stalk
1 Cucumber (optional) - peeled
1/2 Red Pepper (optional) trimmed and seeded
1 Apple- peeled or not
12 or so Grapes- cut in half
1/4 cup Walnuts (optional, I did not use them, but they go well)
3 or 4 Tablespoons - Herbed Goat Cheese
Parsley - finely chopped
The zest of 1 Lemon
Lemon juice- use two if they are small
Salt Pepper
A bunch of beets fresh or canned
Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a simmer and cook the beets till they can be pierced to the core with a sharp knife. After they have cooled a bit and sliced I like to sprinkle some vinegar on them and let them marinate. Now that all your vegetables and fruit have been prepped, prepare the lemon vinaigrette, and mix well with all the ingredients except for the beets and cheese. The rest of the recipe is to assemble what you have. You can use the picture as an example or create your own arrangement.



Salami and Onion Pizza to go along with it.

You will need
1 Lb. of Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce - 1/4 - 1/3 of the pizza sauce recipe that follows
1 small onion
1/2 stick of a good quality salami
Mozzarella or a combination of Italian Cheese
(I like to use a combination of Asiago, Mozzarella and Parmesan.)

You will also need
Tray pan (1/2 sheet)
Pizza cutter



For the Pizza Sauce

1 can of Italian Peeled Tomatoes 28 oz – Preferably DOP
2 cloves of fresh garlic – minced or finely chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to your liking
1 teaspoon oregano – A big pinch

Either squish up the tomatoes with your hand if you like your sauce a little chunky or gently puree them in a food processor using the on/off method. Do not let the processor run freely as it will turn the tomatoes from red to pink. You end up getting to much air into them resulting in the pale color.
Add the rest of the ingredients and let the flavors marinate together for a while. This will last for a week in the fridge and you will notice the flavors increase in strength as it "ages".
Slice the onion very thinly and place in a bowl, add a little olive oil. Slice the stick salami thickly and at an angle. Then slice into strips.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the rack in the lowest position.

Generously oil the bottom of the sheet pan with olive oil. Spread out the dough using your hands or use a rolling pin, to the desired thickness and place in the pan. If the dough bubbles in places pop them with a sharp knife. I use about a 1/4 of the sauce recipe then add parmesan cheese first, then the mixed asiago and mozzarella. Then the onions and sliced strips of salami. Drizzle some olive oil over the edges and top and bake.

Bake for about 14 minutes. Add some pieces of fresh basil and serve hot.
Let me know how it comes out.

Penne with Roast Pepper Cream Sauce and Peas

It's been a while since my last post and I thought I would post a dish that my Dad loved. He really liked any pasta with cream sauce and this one is really flavorful and easy. Even though Dad did not like vegetables he did like the addition of peas in this recipe and I got to sneak in the peppers. Please don't feel you have to roast your own peppers as I am showing you here. They are kind of a pain in the neck but I wanted to show you how to do it and it is very cost effective.

Ingredients

4 red peppers or 1 jar
1 pound of Penne or other type of pasta
1 pint of heavy cream (or a bit more)
2 cups parm Cheese
1 cup of frozen or fresh peas
2 tablespoons of butter (optional)
salt and pepper

Method to roast the peppers:

As you can see from the picture, I used my gas burner to blacken the outside of the pepper. You can also use a BBQ grill.
Using tongs hold the pepper over an open fire till the exposed section becomes black. Turn and continue the process until the whole pepper is black. Immediately place inside a paper bag. Continue the process till all the peppers are done. Close the bag and let sit for a few minutes. When cool enough to do so, scrape away the outside black layer leaving only the red pepper. OK if there is some black left don't worry about it. Cut in half to remove the seeds and white rib parts leaving only the "filet"
These peppers can also be used as a side dish with the addition of some olive oil and garlic slices. In fact they last quite a while and the longer they marinade in some oil and garlic the better.





To Make the sauce:

Take the pepper fillets and put into a food processor with a little water or some of the cream. Puree till smooth.
mix in the rest of the cream and some salt.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the pasta into the boiling water and set your timer to 8-9 minutes.
Place the cream mixture over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, add the peas and allow to simmer till the peas are almost done. Drain the pasta and add the butter (or oil if you prefer) add the drained pasta to the cream sauce then mix in the parm cheese. Serve with some freshly grated black pepper.

A medium bodied red wine goes nicely. A Merlot or Cote de Rhone.

Chestnut Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Prosciutto

I came across some Chestnut flour recently and made both chestnut crepes and fresh chestnut pasta dough. I made the crepes two ways one was a sweet desert version and the other was a savory crepe filled with the same mixture I used as the "sauce" for the Tagliatelle. The crepes are made with 100% chestnut flour and the chestnut pasta is made with a small addition of the chestnut flour to 00 Italian flour. More on the crepes later.
This fresh pasta dish is a really delicious recipe, the chestnut flavor compliments the wild mushrooms and the leeks and prosciutto tie in the flavors superbly. I love this dish. Try it.


Ingredients:

For the dough
14 oz 00 Flour (use all purpose if you can't find the 00)
3.5 oz of chestnut flour
4 eggs plus 4 yokes
3 tablespoons of olive oil
pinch of salt


















For the sauce
3 different types of wild mushroom - Trumpet, shitake and oyster. Crimini or other types also work well
2 leeks -washed trimmed and sliced
3 thick slices of prosciutto - cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons of shallot and garlic - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
1 cup of white wine
Olive oil
Fresh Italian parsley - chopped fine
Parmigiano Cheese
Butter

Method:

For the dough:
Sift and mix the flours together. Place on a clean surface or use an extra large mixing bowl, form a well in the middle of the flour. Break the eggs into the well, mix up the eggs with a fork, add the olive oil and salt, gradually incorporate the flour with the eggs and oil. Gently kneed the dough for about 8 minutes or until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for at least 20 minutes, an hour is even better.
After resting the dough use a pasta machine to make the tagliatelle or if you do not have a pasta machine roll out the dough into a very thin sheet and then cut into strips. You will be making Pappardelle with this method and that is fine. May even be better. Let the cut pasta dry out a little by placing on a dry clean dish towel.

Now for the sauce.
Use two pans. One is for the mushrooms and the other for everything else. Cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil over a moderate heat till they turn slightly brown and set aside. In another pan melt a couple Tablespoons of butter in a Tablespoon or so of olive oil. Saute the prosciutto for a few minutes and then add the garlic, shallot and leeks cook for several minutes without browning. Add the mushroom mixture to the leek mixture, then add the wine and continue cooking for about 5 more
minutes. Sprinkle with some parsley.


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for doneness. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to the mushroom mixture and then drain the pasta. Toss it all together with some grated Parmigiano cheese. Serve immediately.

Risotto Milanese

Before it gets to warm out and I would rather eat a salad than Risotto, I made this classic dish from Milan. Came out great.
Making risotto is all about technique and there are several techniques you can use. I always use the constant stir method adding small amounts of broth as the rice cooks. Another important step is to "toast" the rice a bit in the olive oil and onions before adding the first incorporation of broth. I use chicken broth but you can also use beef, vegetable broth or a combination of broths. Here we go.

You will need:

4 cups of chicken broth
1 1/4 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli rice (I prefer Carnaroli)
1/2 cup of finely diced onion
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads- chopped
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese ( Reggiano parmigano)
4 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil


METHOD
Keep the broth at a simmer next to the the pan for the risotto Use a heavy bottom saute pan over a medium heat to make the risotto. Melt a couple Tablespoons of butter along with a Tablespoon of olive oil, add the onions and cook until soft without browning. Add the rice and stir for several minutes to toast the rice. Add a ladel full of broth and continue to stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. The next incorporation of liquid is half of the wine. Add the saffron. You will notice that the threads will dissolve as you continue to cook the rice. Continue the method of adding the broth a little at a time, while constantly stirring as you go. You will be able to see a little "wave" appear as you stir the rice and broth. If you add to much liquid in one incorporation you will not see the wave. Add the rest of the wine before the last incorporation of broth. Taste for doneness. The rice should still be firm after you have used almost all of the liquid. (you may still have some broth left when the rice has reached the "al Dente" state. Now off heat stir in the butter and cream. Stir for several minutes and then add the Parm cheese and stir some more. Feel free to adjust the amount of cream. Sprinkle in the parsley. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.




Of course there are about a million variations, but this recipe is the standard classic. Feel free to add just about anything you can think of. Some other favorites are mushrooms, asparagus, prosciutto, shrimp, use your imagination or what you have available in the fridge. When using mushrooms I use a combination of beef and chicken broth and also use red wine not white. Soak some dried mushrooms in water and incorporate the soaking juice.

I made a Lamb Chop to go with it.

Asparagus and Spaghetti with Prosciutto - Risotto Style

I adapted this recipe from Chef Walter Citterio's Green Cauliflower Soup recipe. Walter is so inspiring I was ready to make his soup recipe but decided to adapt it using what I had in the fridge. It came out great. Prosciutto goes so well with asparagus it was a perfect addition. This is simple and fast. The entire time from start to eating was about 30 minutes or less.

I have been using Swanson's Organic Chicken Broth and I must say it is very good. But use whatever chicken stock, broth, bullion or base you have. If you want to make this vegetarian omit the prosciutto and use a vegetable stock. Works out really great this way as well.

This recipe is enough for two.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Asparagus

1 Leek -washed and sliced thinly

1/2 of a medium onion - peeled and sliced thinly

3 - 1/4 inch slices of prosciutto cut into Juliane strips

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 lb. of dry spaghetti broken into pieces

2 Tablespoons of butter

Parm. Cheese

Olive oil

Black pepper

Hot pepper flakes - optional

Method:

Wash the asparagus and trim the bottoms about a third of the way down. Put the bottom sections into the broth and allow the asparagus flavor to meld with the broth. When the asparagus is very soft discard. Cut the tops off the asparagus and then cut the stalks in a diagonal cut about an inch long. Separate the stalk pieces from the tops. They have different cooking times and are added to the pan at different times.

OK now that you have everything prepped, its time to make the dish. At this point it will only take about 12 minutes or so.

Saute the prosciutto in a little olive oil until a bit crispy, add the leeks and onions and continue to cook for several minutes, add the stalk pieces of asparagus and cook for a couple minutes and then add the broken pieces of spaghetti. Stir around and then add most of the broth, reserve a little of the broth as you may need to add it in. Stir well, let all this cook for several minutes and then add the tops, add a little more broth if needed. Continue cooking till the spaghetti is very al dente. Six to eight minutes or so. Take away from the heat and add the butter, stir really well until everything is incorporated. Add the hot pepper if you like.

Sprinkle with a generous amount of Parm Cheese and a bit of black pepper.

Plate a large portion, you will save a trip for seconds.

As always your comments are welcomed.

Spicy Mixed Roasted Potatoes with Onion

I can't resist crispy roasted potatoes. They go so well with just about anything. Most varieties of potato roast well, I like to mix it up a little and add carrots, onions, parsnips, any of the root vegetables or even things like cranberries, fresh (hot or sweet) peppers, small little chunks of pork belly (bacon) or pancetta. I always use dried hot pepper flakes, as I did in this recipe which is a combination of sweet potato, red bliss, russet and onion. The important thing about achieving a crispy potato crust is to not overcrowd the pan, use enough oil, have the right heat and anybody can achieve perfect Roast Potatoes.

You certainly don't have to limit yourself to the varieties of potato that I used in this recipe. I happened to use this selection purely by what I had on hand in the house. I often will mix up the 2, 3 or more varieties I still have hanging around. Not having enough of one type to do much with, I mix them together regardless of the variety (how frugal of me.) I would have added carrots if I wasn't using sweet potatoes, they always add to the flavor so well. Fresh Rosemary is an option.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato or yam- peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 large Russet potato- peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

several Red Bliss - cut into half if small 1/4's if bigger

1 onion - sliced into 1/8ths

red pepper flakes

4 Tablespoons or maybe more - Olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the potatoes and onion in a large mixing bowl, Add the salt, pepper and hot pepper to your liking. Coat well with olive oil and transfer to a large enough roasting pan with out overcrowding. Roast for about 35 minutes, then test for doneness, depending on the size, how brown they are and how crispy you want them, you may end up roasting for more time. Sprinkle with some more salt while still hot. Serve immediately.

Celery Root Soup

Such an ugly root and yet it makes such a beautiful soup.

Celery root is combined with bacon, leeks, onion and rosemary to make this creamy delicious soup. Use chicken broth, vegetable broth or a combination of both. Its fast, easy and great for a cold day.

Ingredients:

4 cups of broth

1 bulb celery root - peeled and cut into pieces

1 leek- washed and sliced into small pieces

1 small onion - chopped

2 slices of bacon

a sprig of rosemary

Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Method:

Slice down the bacon into small pieces and saute till browned. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced leeks and chopped onion. Add a piece of the rosemary. Saute for a few minutes but do not let the onions and leeks get to browned. Add the celery root and saute a couple minutes then add the broth. Let the whole thing come to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Remove the rosemary. Cook until the celery root is very soft. About 40 minutes. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to puree the soup. Return to the pan to keep warm. Sprinkle a little grated cheese and drizzle a little olive oil to finish. Garnish with a piece of rosemary or celery leaf. You may want to get creative with garnishes, try some thinly sliced apple or pear.

A white Trebbiano would go nice. Add a green salad and a good piece of bread and you got a real nice dinner.