August 28, 2009

Tartine with Roasted Figs, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola

Filed under: Appetizers — by Carla

 

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When you’re looking for a new quick and easy appetizer idea, how about a tartine? Basically an open faced sandwich, the tartine sounds so much more interesting. Especially when topped with sweet, sticky roasted figs. A quick roast in the oven really concentrates their flavor, caramelizing their sugars, rendering them even sweeter and more complex. It is an easy step to make and just gives this simple yet elegant appetizer a bit more finesse. The tangy gorgonzola adds an extra savory note that I find irresistible and plays beautifully off the nutty tannins of the walnuts. Country style peasant loaves are often a good choice for the base as they are chewy and have a strong firm texture. Look for round loaves called pain de campagne and slice it down into a rough serving size, cutting the slice crosswise in half if need be. It all comes together to make a simple, late summer appetizer that really sizzles.

 

Kitchen Counterpoint: Figs can be in season for a very short time, usually June through September, so when I see them in the market I can’t resist bringing them home. There is something erotic and beautiful about figs. Though they come in many shapes and colors the usual suspects here in Northeast Ohio are either Black Mission (dark purple) or Calimyrna (green). When sliced, the flesh of mission figs has a lovely color and pattern that contrasts with their dark skin, adding drama to any dish. And couldn’t we all use a little more drama on our plates?

Serves 6

12 fresh figs, stemmed and quartered
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
6 slices country style bread
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Pinch grated nutmeg
6 slices prosciutto
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375ºF

Toss the figs, vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the figs have dried and caramelized slightly. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the bread slices and bake in the oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, basil, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper or nutmeg to taste.

Spread the cheese mixture over the bread and top with a slice of prosciutto, the roasted figs, gorgonzola and walnuts. Serve immediately.

Tip:  Did you know that you can toast walnuts in the microwave? Lay them out on a plate and nuke for about 33 seconds. Move them around and nuke another 33 seconds. They are toasted when they give off a warm, toasty aroma.

August 21, 2009

Composed Salad of Greens, Roasted Vegetables, Chicken, Feta and Walnuts

Filed under: Salads — by Carla

 

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We frequently eat salad for dinner at our house, especially in the summer months when eating lighter and fresher is so appealing. But, don’t think for a moment that our appetites are discouraged by the humid dog days of a Cleveland summer. No wimpy little salad for us. We want to feel like we ate dinner (not to be confused with lunch) even if it is 90 degrees outside.

That’s where this salade composée comes in. This hearty dinner in a bowl begins with an interesting mix of various textured greens like tender Bibb, bitter radicchio, chewy romaine and peppery arugula lettuce. By simply adding grilled zucchini, red onion, peppers, chunky chicken, crumbled feta cheese, herbs fresh picked from the garden and toasted walnuts to the mix, all that remains is to whip up a simple balsamic vinaigrette. It sounds like a lot of flavors, but believe me, this is one of our favorite meals when dining alfresco. I especially like the contrast of warm from the grill vegetables and chicken with the chilly greens, salty cheese and crunchy nuts. A lively sauvignon blanc and a chewy baguette makes this a great meal for entertaining or for an indulgent over the hump Wednesday night dinner for two.

Kitchen Counter Point: I make it a point to wash greens as soon as I get them home, spin them dry, roll them up in kitchen towels and zip them up in plastic bags in the crisper drawer. That way they are always crisp and cold when I need them instead of watery and limp from a recent wash. I also occasionally take advantage of the organic packaged arugula in the plastic bin but I never buy the pre-bagged greens anymore because they taste of chemicals and are generally of very poor quality.

Serves 2 large dinner salads or 4 side-dish salads

2 chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
1 lemon, zested and cut in half, divided use
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
1/4 large red onion, thickly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch squares
1/2 cup whole walnuts
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 small shallot, peeled and minced
Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large handfuls of a mix of Bibb, radicchio, romaine and arugula or mixed greens of your choice
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or other fresh herbs you have growing in the yard

Lay out the cold from the refrigerator chicken breasts on a sheet pan sprinkle with half the zest and squeeze half the lemon over them. Season with lots of salt and pepper on both sides, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and let them sit for an hour on the counter. They’ll soak up more flavor as they warm up and will cook more evenly if they aren’t freezing cold from the frig when you put them on the grill.

Heat up the grill to medium-high heat.

While the chicken sits, toss the vegetables with the remaining zest, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and transfer them to a grill basket and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, giving them a toss every now and then. You want them to be tender and lightly charred. Add the walnuts the last 5 minutes to toast them lightly. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly.

Once the vegetables have cooked for about 15 minutes, add the chicken, skin side down. Grill for 10 minutes, turn and grill another 7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and let sit for 10 minutes. Pull the chicken from the bone and shred or cut into chunks.

While the chicken and vegetables cook, make the vinaigrette. In a large bowl (large enough to toss the salad) combine the vinegar along with the other half of the lemon, squeezed. Add a pinch of salt and shallot and swirl until the salt melts. Whisk in the remaining olive oil and taste for seasoning, adding more vinegar or oil to taste. Add a few grinds of pepper to taste.

Drizzle the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

When ready to serve, add the lettuce to the bowl with the dressing and toss to mix.

Divide the lettuce between two serving bowls and top with the still warm vegetables, chicken, feta cheese and fresh herbs. Grind a little freshly ground black pepper over the top and dig in.

August 13, 2009

Nectarine and Berry Crisp

Filed under: Desserts — by Carla

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I must admit that I have a bit of an addiction for fruity, berry based desserts. It comes as no surprise to my family, who’ve been noshing on crisps of this sort all summer long. Desserts of this type are even better when you can buy locally grown fruit which has had the chance to ripen on the tree or bush, soaking up all that sun kissed summer has to offer.

This is my favorite rendition of the classic crisp. I also have an affliction (I mean affection) for plums, peaches and apricots, though you must peel the furrier fruits before tossing with the berries. My trademark is the addition of the lemon verbena, which I always plant in the spring so that I have it on hand throughout the summer and fall. It is one of my favorite herbs and once you try it, I hope it will become one of yours as well. Not to worry if you can’t find it at this point, just be sure to plant it next year!

Kitchen Counter Point: Let’s talk about lemon verbena for a moment. It grows with no encouragement whatsoever along with the basil, thyme and chives, so it is very easy to keep up with. The leaves are very fragrant in a lemony floral kind of way. Other uses for it are to 1) add to a food processor with granulated sugar and process to make lemon verbena sugar which is great on shortbread or sugar cookies, 2) minced and added to blueberry muffins, pound cake or pancakes, 3) instead of basil or cilantro, try adding lemon verbena to salsas and summer compotes. These are just a few of the uses, not to mention, just picking a few sprigs to add to small bouquets. Their long pointy leaves are pretty and when brushed, give off that heavenly, lemonly smell.

 Serves 8

1 cup brown sugar, divided use
1-1/2 cups regular oats
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided use
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 nectarines, pitted and each cut into about 8 sections
8 ounces blueberries
6 ounces blackberries
6 ounces raspberries
2 tablespoons chopped lemon verbena, optional
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
Ice cream or whipped cream as an accompaniment if desired

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, oats, 1/4 cup flour, butter, cinnamon and salt. Mix together with your fingers or a fork until well blended

In a large bowl combine the fruit and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar (less if your fruit is at its peak of ripeness), 3 tablespoons flour, lemon verbena if using, lemon zest and juice. Toss gently to combine. Transfer to a buttered 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is crisp. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

March 17, 2009

Basic Pizza Dough

Filed under: Pizza — by Meredith

Basic Pizza Dough

There are few recipes that will impact your life as deeply as a good pizza dough recipe will. Once you’ve found it and mastered it, the world is your pizza. Cracker thin or thick and doughy, a little sauce or a lot, sun-dried tomatoes or thin sliced fresh, you can now make pizza to please you and only you. It will be the best tasting pizza you ever ate, even if the crust isn’t perfectly round or worse, it’s in the shape of Argentina, no worries.We like to make our dough in the stand mixer or food processor, but it can easily be mixed up by hand as well. The basic Margherita is our pizza of choice, but we also love to improvise and have lately topped with sautéed greens, sausage and Monterrey Jack or roasted red pepper sauce with caramelized onions, Kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Makes two 12-inch pizza shells

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 package (7 g) dried yeast
1-1/3 cups warm water 110 degrees F
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3-1/3 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon salt
Cornmeal for dusting

Place pizza stone or unglazed tiles on rack in oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and stir. Allow the water-yeast mixture to sit for about 3 or 4 minutes and when foamy on top, add the olive oil. Stir.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer and with the paddle mix on speed 2 to blend the salt evenly into the flour. Quickly pour the yeast-water into the bowl and mix on speed 2 until the dough comes together. Switch out the paddle and with the dough hook, knead the dough until smooth and elastic and it cleans the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let rest for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Deflate the dough with your hands and cut into two pieces.

With a rolling pin roll one piece of the dough out on a floured surface until about 16-inches round. Transfer the dough to a peel or cookie sheet with no sides. Open the oven door and place the front edge of the peel to the back edge of the stone. Tilt the peel slightly and pull it back toward you (kind of like the magician who pulls the tablecloth from under a table laid with dishes) effectively transferring the pizza to the stone. Close the oven and bake for about 2 minutes or until the dough has firmed up. To retrieve the pizza, just reverse the movement by sliding the peel under the partially cooked pizza, scooping it up. Top the pizza with the desired toppings and return it to the oven in the same manner. Cook the pizza for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and the bottom is crispy. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let rest for about 3 minutes before slicing.

Repeat with second piece of dough.

Pizza possibilities
Red peppers, Kalamata olives and feta cheese

Tip: The reason we partially bake the pizza before topping it is because once the dough is on the peel, it begins to attract moisture. In the time it takes to top a pizza, the dough might stick to the peel, making a mess of trying to get it onto the hot stones. By quickly laying the dough on the peel and immediately getting it into the oven, you will be guaranteed that it won’t stick and make a mess of your oven, floor and stone.

Tip: Topping possibilities are endless. You can top pizza with almost anything, but here are a few tips: We like to use a combination of grated mozzarella, fontina, and Parmesan cheeses. For pizza sauce, you can use the basic tomato sauce recipe, but we also like to use pesto. If you are adding fresh tomatoes, make sure you have sliced them thinly, so they cook properly.

Tip: Baking pizza on a hot pizza stone or tiles gives the best result, and if you plan on making pizza once in a while the pizza stone and peel are well worth the investment. If you don’t own either of those tools though, you can still make a good pizza. Prepare the pizza directly on top of a baking sheet, place in the oven and cook for 5 minutes, or until the pizza dough has stiffened a bit. Then slide the whole thing off the baking sheet and directly onto the oven rack and continue cooking until the bottom is crisp and the top is golden and bubbly.

Make-ahead: The dough can be made a day ahead and kept in a bowl, tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The dough can also be frozen for up to 4 weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Rich Lobster and Roasted Corn Chowder

Filed under: Soups — by Meredith

Rich Lobster and Corn Chowder

Decadent is the best word to describe this luxurious chowder. Fresh lobster is paired with sweet and toasty roasted corn for a unique and memorable taste sensation.Serves 6

3 cups fresh or frozen yellow corn kernels
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
4 bacon slices, chopped
2 cups chopped onions
Pinch cayenne pepper
1lb red-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
2 8 oz. (250 g) bottle clam juice, plus 3 cups chicken broth
5 cups fish stock
1-1/2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1-lb cooked lobster tails, meat removed and cut into bite-sized chunks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour the corn kernels onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir the corn and redistribute into an even layer. Continue to roast for another 10-15 minutes or until the corn is lightly, but evenly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from pot. Add onions and sauté until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the cayenne; and continue to cook for another minute. Add potatoes, clam juice, broth and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in corn and whipping cream and continue to simmer 5 minutes.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add lobster; sauté until heated through, about 1 minute.

Ladle soup into heated serving bowls. Pile some of the lobster onto each serving and garnish with the bacon and chives.

Easy Chipotle Chicken Soup

Filed under: Soups — by Meredith

Chipotle Chicken Soup

Perfect for a busy weeknight, this fast and easy soup will warm you up in less than 20 minutes. We use store-bought rotisserie chicken and tortilla chips when time is short and tummies are growling. Chipotle chiles are jalapeños that have been smoked and then drenched in a tomatoey sauce. Look for them in a small can on the Mexican aisle at the grocery store. Freeze the leftover chipotles in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a freezer bag to use the next time (and there will be a next time) you want to spice up your taste buds.Serves 6

6 cups chicken stock
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
1-2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 15 oz (425 g) can garbanzo beans, drained
3 cups chicken, shredded into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
Crispy Tortilla Strips
1 lime cut into wedges

Combine the chicken stock, garlic, chiles and pepper in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Add the garbanzo beans and chicken and season if necessary with salt.
Divide among 6 soup bowls. Garnish with the cilantro, avocado and crispy tortilla strips and serve hot with wedges of lime on the side.

Butternut Squash Soup with Nutmeg Cream

Filed under: Uncategorized — by Carla

Butternut Squash Soup

Try to make this soup in the fall when squash is freshly picked and you will be rewarded with the creamy, sweet flavors of autumn. You know you have a fresh squash when you cut it and the flesh on the cut side instantly beads with moisture. Squash soups are so comforting with their rich, smooth texture. And if that weren’t enough, they are also a powerhouse of nutrition and loaded with antioxidants and beta carotene. The nutty flavor of freshly grated nutmeg in the unsweetened whipped cream is a lovely compliment to this sweet butternut squash soup.Serves 6

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup onion diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup whipping cream, cold, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add the salt, pepper, coriander and thyme and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes.

Add the chicken or vegetable stock and the orange juice and simmer the soup, covered over low heat until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, food processor or blender.

Add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to the soup. Taste the soup for seasoning and make adjustments if necessary with salt, pepper, ground nutmeg and cayenne.

Add the remaining chilled 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to the bowl of a mixer and beat until soft peaks form in the cream. Add the nutmeg and combine well. Refrigerate the Nutmeg Cream if not using immediately.

Ladle the soup into heated bowls and top with a dollop of the nutmeg cream.

Fresh Lime Margaritas

Filed under: Libations — by Carla

Fresh Lime Margaritas

What’s a Cinco de Mayo fiesta without a margarita? Trick question. There’s no such thing as a fiesta without a margarita.  The true Margarita, made from fresh lime juice,  is one of our favorites drinks because 1) we love the salt on the rim, 2) the Margarita glass is fun to hold and 3) they are delicious. We prefer a shaken Margarita to the frozen slushy kind for the simple reason that there is less chance of brain freeze when you forget what you are doing (see the last sentence) and drink them too fast. Whatever you do, don’t succumb to the easy out of purchased already squeezed lime juice! The fresh lime is the only way to go, so choose limes that are heavy and thin skinned for the highest juice yield. On another note, your choice of tequila will really make a difference in the smoothness of this drink. We used 1800 Silver tequila and thought they were the best Margaritas we ever tasted. A word to the wise…these can be dangerous however, as they are so delicious that you will drink them faster than you probably should.Makes 6

3 limes, quartered lengthwise and sliced
Kosher or coarse salt

2 cups premium tequila such as 1800 Silver
1/2 cup Cointreau, Gran Marnier or triple sec
1/2 cup lime juice

Lay 8 of the lime quarters on a plate matching the circumference of the glasses you will be using for the drinks. Pour about 1/4 cup of the salt on another plate.

Gently press the rims of the glasses down onto the limes, twisting to make the rims juicy. Then lightly dip the wet rims into the salt to coat them. Place the glasses in the freezer for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes to chill them off.

Combine the tequila, Cointreau and lime juice in a pitcher. Measure out 8 ounces of the mix per drink and transfer it to a shaker with about 1/2 cup crushed ice. Shake until the shaker is frosty and cold. Pour the mixture into the prepared glasses and add more of the crushed ice to the glass. Make the remaining drinks in the same manner. Garnish with some of the remaining lime quarters and serve immediately.

Green Apple Slices with Tapenade

Filed under: Appetizers — by Carla

Green Apple Slices with Tapenade

We like to think that we came up with this great duo. Tapenade is something that we always have in our refrigerators because it lasts forever and it is an instant appetizer for on the fly entertaining. It tastes great on toasted baguette slices, but we think the tartness of the apple plays off the salty herbal notes of the tapenade to delicious effect. The green, black and white colors also look great on a plain white serving tray (very minimalist.)Makes 48 pieces

1-1/2 cups Kalamata olives, pitted
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (more or less optional)
1/4 cup capers (preferably those packed in salt), rinsed
Zest of 1 lemon (yellow part only)
Zest of 1 orange (orange part only)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 Granny Smith apples, halved cored and each sliced into 16 slices
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Lemon wedges and parsley leaves as garnish (optional)

Place the olives, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, anchovy paste, capers, zests, lemon juice, parsley, herbes de Provence, black pepper, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or chop finely by hand and mix). Pulse a few times to incorporate and chop to desired texture (we like it chunky.)

Toss the apples with the lemon juice to keep them from browning. Spread a small mound of tapenade onto each of the sliced apples and arrange them decoratively on a platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and bunches of parsley.

Make-ahead: You may refrigerate the tapenade covered for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Tips: It is easy to remove the pits from the olives. Simply lay the flat side of your knife
on the olive and press. The olive opens up and out pops the pit.
Capers packed in salt have a better texture than those bottled in brine. They must be rinsed thoroughly before using.
The zest from the citrus is most easily removed using a microplane, available at most cookware stores.

Honeyed Almonds

Filed under: Appetizers — by Meredith

Honeyed Almonds

OK, these addictive little salty, sweet treats could easily step over the line into the dessert category, but we found them too tempting not to share. They are great to set out in a bowl and let everyone nibble on before dinner. They’re also an interesting addition to a salad, perhaps with crumbled blue cheese or as a garnish to an ice cream sundae.Makes 2 cups

2 cups raw almonds, with skin on
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place almonds in even layer on baking sheet. Roast 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place in large bowl.

In saucepan combine 1/4 cup sugar, honey and butter. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, do not stir. Boil for 3 minutes. It should darken slightly as it cooks, but if it begins to go past the golden brown stage, remove it from the heat immediately to avoid burning.

Pour hot syrup over nuts. Stir well. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and salt and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to a greased baking sheet and separate with fork. Cool completely. Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Make-ahead: Pecans can be prepared 5 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.

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