Smashed Cucumber Salad – I Crushed This

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Make Smashed Cucumber Salad – I Crushed This

Your cooking skills might not be the best, but the word on the street is that you’re pretty good at smashing things, sometimes even on purpose. If that’s the case, this refreshing, and very addictive smashed cucumber salad is going to be perfect for you. Above and beyond whisking up an extremely simple dressing, the success of this recipe comes down to you being able to flatten a cucumber with something heavy.

It really is as easy as it sounds, and by crushing our cucumber before we cut it, we produce flavors that un-smashed cucs can’t. When you crush the cells in a vegetable, as opposed to cutting cleanly through them, certain compounds get mixed together, which can result in a significantly different flavor. 

This is not always a good thing, and onions are the perfect example. Use a sharp knife, and they’re sweet and mild. Use a dull knife, or that thing you ordered after seeing the infomercial at 2 AM, and you’ll get something much harsher. In fact, it’s no joke that most people who don’t like onions, grew up in a kitchen with dull knives.

However, when it comes to cucumber, these ruptured cells produce a more desirable flavor, and texture. The only decision you’re going to have to make, is how long to let the cucumbers marinate in the dressing, if at all. Many chefs will toss and serve immediately, while others like to let the cucumbers chill in the dressing for a little while in the fridge, which is the method I prefer.

You’ll just have to do some tests to see what you prefer, but either way, this is one of my all-time favorite cold summer side dishes, and one I really hope you try very soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 portions:
2 English cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds total weight)

1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 garlic cloves, finely crushed

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

(or regular rice vinegar with an extra pinch of salt and sugar)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

red pepper flakes, to taste

toasted sesame seeds to garnish

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What is one of the More Popular Citruses in Summer? The Lemon of Course!

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Make What is one of the More Popular Citruses in Summer? The Lemon of Course!

With all its wonderfully delicious attributes, the lemon lends itself to so many recipes bringing that needed touch of acidity, but also that light tangy flavor that really enhances every dish that it is added too!  Now with that being said, what better way to take what some would consider a heavier dessert and bring  it "into the light" !  You're about to find out!

 

Lemon  Cheesecake

  

A water bath cooks the cheesecake gently, making it extra creamy with a smooth, crack-free top. You can make the lemon curd up to two weeks in advance; just be sure to store it in the refrigerator.**

 

 

Active time 20 minutes. Total time 10 hours 40 minutes.
Ingredients

Serves 10-12

 

Cheesecake

2 1/2 cups crushed cream-filled lemon sandwich cookies (such as Lemon Oreo Sandwich Cookies) (about 25 cookies)
2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
5 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 5 Tbsp. fresh juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Yellow food coloring gel paste (such as Spectrum Lemon Yellow Soft Gel Paste Food Coloring) 1 cup Lemon Curd Recipe  

Directions

 

Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside of a lightly greased 9-inch shiny springform pan in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Stir together crushed cookies and melted butter in a bowl. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until ready to use.

 

Reduce oven temperature to 325°

Beat cream cheese with a heavy-duty mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar and flour, beating until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and heavy cream. 

Remove 3 cups of batter, and place in a medium bowl. Using a wooden pick, add a small amount of food coloring gel paste to the 3 cups of batter. Stir until batter is pale yellow, adding more gel paste if necessary. 

Dollop half of un-tinted batter into prepared crust. Dollop half of pale yellow tinted batter on top of un-tinted batter dollops. Swirl together using a small knife, creating a marbled look. Repeat procedure with remaining halves of un-tinted and pale yellow tinted batters. Place springform pan in a roasting pan. Add boiling water to reach halfway up sides of springform pan. 

Bake at 325°F until center is almost set but still slightly wobbly, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off oven, and let cheesecake stand in oven, with door partially open, 1 hour. 

 

Remove cheesecake from roasting pan and water bath, and place on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap, using wooden picks to prevent plastic wrap from touching top of cheesecake. Chill 8 to 24 hours. 

Gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. Remove sides of pan. Spread top with 1 cup Lemon Curd. (See Lemon Curd Recipe below)

 

 

Active time 25 minutes. Total time 4 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients
Serves 8 (about 1/2 cup)

Lemon Curd**

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus 1 cup fresh juice (about 4 large lemons)

 

 

Directions

 

Lemon Curd

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended, about 45 seconds. Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add lemon juice to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in zest. (Mixture will look curdled.)

Transfer mixture to a heavy 4-quart saucepan, and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 14 to 16 minutes.

Transfer curd to a bowl, and place plastic wrap directly on warm curd (to prevent a film from forming). Chill until firm, about 4 hours. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

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A Memorial Day-Away

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Make A Memorial Day-Away

Just a quick programing note that due to the holiday yesterday, today’s video will be posted Wednesday instead. I’m getting a little smarter in my old age, and actually try to take these off-days off, so I didn’t do a film yesterday. 

The good news is, we’ll be back tomorrow with a recipe video for one of my all-time favorite cold summer side dishes, quite possibly invloving cucumbers. Stay tuned! 

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Not Your Same Ole' Barbecue Chicken!

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Make Not Your Same Ole' Barbecue Chicken!

It would be great to grill nice thick juicy steaks on the grille all the time for  dinner,  but here are a couple of reasons that make it not such a "great" idea.  First is the cost.  Chicken on sale or not is far cheaper than a great steak on sale! Second, steaks would become ordinary and not have that fantastic "MMMM" impact when you find that gorgeous steak, anticipate eating it, bringing it home and throwing it on the grille....So  Chicken again is a great choice for grilling in as far as you can prepare it in so many ways as to keep it from becoming "everyday" and "mundane!  This next recipe does just that! Delicious flavor, moist and a little "kick" for fun!

 

Honey Sriracha Orange Grilled Chicken

 

 

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Honey Sriracha Orange Marinade/Glaze
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons quality hoisin sauce
1 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons sriracha/Asian hot red chili sauce, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish (optional)
green onions
orange zest

Directions

Whisk the Honey Sriracha Orange Marinade/Glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add 1/3 cup to a large freezer bag and whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate 60 minutes up to overnight in the refrigerator. Refrigerate reserved the glaze separately.

When ready to grill, let the chicken sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes (time permitting).
Meanwhile, grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375 to 450°F.

Separate 3 tablespoons from reserved glaze into a small bowl. Add the remaining glaze to a small saucepan and whisk with 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.

Drain the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Grill the chicken undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through, basting with the 3 tablespoons separated glaze. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F when chicken is done.)

Meanwhile, while the chicken is grilling (or after, if you don't have room on your grill), place the covered saucepan on the grill (this can also be done on the stove), and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove lid and whisk until thickened. Once thickened, brush the cooked chicken with glaze. Spoon the extra glaze over the plated chicken or use as a dip.

Garnish the chicken with orange zest and green onions (optional). It's delicious served over rice.

 

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Let's Get Grilling!

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Make Let's Get Grilling!

There are some steaks that need nothing more than a little salt and pepper to bring out their beefy goodness.  Flank steak is not one of them.  This brawny cut, from the abdomen of the cow, craves the strong flavors of either a marinade or a rub. The spicier and more garlicky the better, at least as far as I’m concerned.  This bold marinade has something acidic for brightness (here, both lime juice and zest), something sweet to heighten the browning (brown sugar), something spicy (jalapeño and sriracha for a complex heat heat), a handful of aromatics for flavor (garlic is non-negotiable, ginger and scallions are vibrant) and oil to keep the meat from sticking to the grill.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Flank Steak

Ingredients

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions

1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger

1 fresh jalapeño, seeded if desired, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Zest of 1/2 lime

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce (or to taste)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Directions

In a food processor, pulse together scallion, ginger, jalapeño, garlic, sugar, lime zest and juice, and sriracha. With the motor running, pour in oil until smooth.

Season steak with salt. Place in a large bowl and pour marinade over meat. Turn to coat well with the mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook the steak, heat the grill to medium-high heat. Transfer meat to the grill and cook, covered, until it reaches the desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare). Let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

Because flank steak is so dense, it should be sliced thinly against the grain and served juicy and rare, or at least medium-rare. Well-done flank steak is sad, dry and rubbery. (Fans of well-done meat will do better splurging on a more tender cut.)

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If You Think Lipton's is Good, Wait till You Try This Dip!

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Make If You Think Lipton's is Good, Wait till You Try This Dip!

With the Memorial Day holiday upon us, so begins the onslaught of weekend barbecues and up north, pool openings!  Not everything we make for these parties has to be laborious, and quite frankly, your family and guests don't always want the fuss and muss of having to carry a small plate around, paper or not, holding all the delicious snacks you have made before the main event! Sometimes, just being able to walk around and simply dip a chip or a crudities into a flavorful dip is the way to go! Try this recipe and I am sure you will never, ever go back to the old "out of the box" standby. With that being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that, but if you have the time, this is the way to go!

Caramelized Onion and Scallion Dip

Ingredients

Serves 16

2 pounds large yellow or white onions, thinly sliced

2 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 6 ounces total)

4 sprigs thyme

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

2 cups sour cream

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 425°. Mix onions, shallots, thyme sprigs, and oil in a large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast onion mixture, stirring and scraping down sides of pan every 10 minutes, until mixture starts to break down and turn golden brown, 45–55 minutes.

Discard thyme sprigs. Add wine and vinegar; stir to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Return onion mixture to oven. Continue roasting, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and completely caramelized, about 15 minutes longer. Spread onion mixture out on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.

Transfer onion mixture to a work surface and mince. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream, chives, yogurt, and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. 

DO AHEAD Dip can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill.

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Summer Salads Don't Have to be Savory or Sweet...They Can Be Both!

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Make Summer Salads Don't Have to be Savory or Sweet...They Can Be Both!

Simple flavors which favor warmer weather.  A dinner inside with friends and family or a fun Barbecue outside...this salad has it all, but it also about what it "doesn't" have! Bright, light and a surprising combination of sweet, savory and salty flavors without feeling guilty about how many times you go back for more!

 Melon Cucumber Salad

 

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 side portions

2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cups cucumber, chopped
1  red onion, diced
2 cups cantaloupe or other melon (watermelon and honeydew would both work), chopped

Vinaigrette
3 tbs. rice vinegar
3 tbs. agave
3 tsp. salt
3 tsp. crushed black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne

Directions

Mix vinaigrette ingredients and toss with chopped fruit and veggies. Serve.

It’s that easy!

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Ice Cream Cones – Because Egg White Omelets Shouldn’t Be a Thing

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Make Ice Cream Cones – Because Egg White Omelets Shouldn’t Be a Thing

When you make homemade ice cream, you always end up with spare egg whites, which just happen to be one of the main ingredients in homemade ice cream cones – and if you think that’s merely an accident, you don’t fully understand how the food Gods operate.

They obviously want you to make homemade ice cream cones, since there’s no other good explanation. These are surprisingly easy, and as long as you can wad-up some foil into a cone, there isn’t any special equipment, or tools required. Actually, you really do need to use a silpat to line the baking sheet, but you need one of those anyway.

Like I suggest in the video, please test your batter with the first few cones, to make sure they’re tough enough to handle a scoop of ice cream. Even spread thin, this stuff is fairly sturdy, but by adding more flour to the batter, you get a thicker layer on the pan, and that means a stronger, tougher cone.

You can also roll these into cigar-shaped cookies, or press over a ramekin to form an edible bowl. Regardless of the shape, I hope you make some homemade ice cream, and then sacrifice a few egg whites to the heavens, and make these crispy cones soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8-10 cones:

2 large egg whites

½ cup white sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon cold water, or as needed

1/2 packed cup all purpose flour, plus more if needed

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

- bake at 400 F. for about 8 minutes, or until browned around the outside few inches

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With Just a Little Prep and Time, You Will be Transported to the Far East!

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Make With Just a Little Prep and Time, You Will be Transported to the Far East!

This is one of those recipes that everyone has out there and they all differ slightly.  It's like a recipe from your Grandmother or Nana. Passed down from generation to generation pretty much the way it started out all those years ago. Tradition! Familiarity! Comfort and dare I say...Expected.  Char Siu is, from I understand, one of those recipes that too has been handed down over the generations with each family or locality, adding their own touches making it a signature dish in Chinese Culture. (You will need to plan ahead with this recipe as the refrigerated marinate time is 24 hours~!)

SWEET AND STICKY CHINESE BBQ PORK (AKA CHAR SIU)

Ingredients

Serves 4

Marinade

2 tbsp fancy/cooking molasses (not blackstrap molasses)* 

1 cube red fermented tofu (and 4tsp of the sauce, mashed together) (aka red bean curd)

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)

4 slices of ginger

1 tsp chinese five spice powder

2 tbsp chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine or sherry)

1-2 tbsp Korean pepper flakes (for additional color and spiciness) (optional)

Meat

2-3 lbs pork shoulder (cut into long 3 inch thin strips)

Glaze

2 tbsp honey

Directions

Cutting and Marinating the Meat

Cut the pork shoulder into thin 3 inch thick strips. (Cooks faster and absorbs marinade more evenly)

Combine the ingredients in the marinade section into a ziplock or a big bowl and combine it with the pork.

Marinate it in the fridge for 24 hours.*

Preparing the Glaze

Remove the meat from the marinade and let it sit for an hour in room temperature.

Reserve the marinade into a small bowl (remove the garlic bits and ginger) and combine it with the honey for glazing at the end of grilling

Grilling the Pork

Heat up BBQ to 325F 

Cook the char siu for 15 mins on one side, then flip it for another 10 mins. Check the meat thermometer. Temperature should be around 145F. If it's not, keep the meat on longer until it reaches that temperature.

Once it hits an internal temperature of 145F (62C), we glazed 4-5 times, flipping the meat every minute to prevent burning

When the meat looks red, sticky and slightly burnt, remove it from the BBQ and let it rest for 20 mins on a plate before cutting into it.

Once the meat has rested, cut it up and enjoy!!

*Cooks Notes

Tip #1: Cut the pork up in long thin chunks. It cooks faster, and you get more surface area for sauce.

Tip #2: After you are done marinating the meat, we will re-use the marinating sauce as the glazing sauce. This is when you will add additional honey to it. The honey will sweeten up the glaze and thicken it up to give us that nice sticky thick layer.

Tip #3: Don't over marinate the meat. This marinade has two very salty components: cooking wine and red fermented tofu which can make the end result very salty. Don't marinate it for less than 24 hours! but don't over marinate it as well.

Use fancy/cooking molasses and not blackstrap molasses as that is bitter.

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OK...So Maybe This Isn't as Guilt Free as It Should be...But What the Hell!

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Make OK...So Maybe This Isn't as Guilt Free as It Should be...But What the Hell!

It's only as good as the amount of butter you put in! LOL...Not True. Lobster is very rich as you know so just a pat or two or three will do!

Lobster Medallions in a Seafood Broth

 

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bulb fennel, finely chopped, fronds reserved for garnish

2 leeks, white part only

1 lobster, tail meat removed from shell, body and shell roughly cut and reserved

3 cups chardonnay wine ( one 750 ml bottle)

2 tbsp tomato paste

5 cups fish stock (if none left from the last fabulous dinner use 

Knorrs)

12 mussels

12 prawns, heads removed

2 cups chicken stock

4 ozs. butter

2 sprigs thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste Select all

Directions

Preheat sous vide machine to 70C. (Who are kidding in real life?)

In a deep sauce pan (hello), Make the broth. 

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and set over high heat. Add shallots, celery, carrots, garlic, fennel and 1 leek, roughly chopped, and cook until softened. Add chopped lobster shells and continue to cook until well colored, about another 15 minutes. Add 2 cups chardonnay wine and reduce by 1/3. Add tomato paste, fish stock, mussels and prawns and allow to simmer. 

Remove mussels from broth as they cook and open and place in serving bowls. Continue to simmer broth for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean saucepan and return to heat to simmer until thickened and reduced, about another 15 minutes. Season and set aside, keeping warm.

Meanwhile, to cook the remaining leek, place chicken stock, remaining 1 cup chardonnay wine, butter and leek in a saucepan and set over medium heat. Allow to simmer until leek is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and set leek aside.

To cook the lobster, place lobster, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and thyme in a sous vide bag. Season, seal and place in sous vide machine to poach for 15 minutes. Remove from machine, remove lobster from bag and slice into 12 medallions. (Toss in a pan with a little butter and olive oil for just a few minutes...3)

To serve, pour broth into serving bowls, covering the mussels. Add 3 lobster medallions to each bowl. Slice leeks thinly and scatter over. Garnish with fennel fronds. 

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Strawberry Salsa and Avocado Couscous Salad

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Make Strawberry Salsa and Avocado Couscous Salad

Tempo quente. Vegetais frescos. A melhor combinação. Não há melhor maneira possível de aproveitar estes dias solarengos de primavera do que com uma salada de couscous. Uma das minhas formas favoritas de comer algo saboroso sem cozinhar comida quente porque eu abomino estar a volta do fogão quando este está bom assim. Sempre foi assim e provavelmente nunca mudará. Gaspacho e melancia são as minhas comidas escolhas nestas alturas. Simples e deliciosas para aproveitar num piquenique no parque. Enquanto não posso fazer um piquenique como deve ser em dias de trabalho sempre posso aproveitar um a hora do almoço no parque ou na praia. Vantagens de viver de trabalhar perto de ambos, devo dizer!

Warm weather. Fresh vegetables. The best combination. There is no better way to enjoy these sunny spring days than a couscous salad. One of my favourite ways to eat something delicious without cooking something hot as I despise cooking hot food when the weather is this great. It's always been like this and will probably never change. Gaspacho and watermelon are my to go foods. Simple and delicious to enjoy in a picnic in the park. While I cannot throw a proper picnic on a weekday and I can still enjoy having a nice lunch in the park or by the beach. Perks of working close to both I must say!

Salada de Couscous com Morango e Abacate
para 2

ingredientes (molho de morango):


200 g morangos, cortados em pequenos pedaços
1 chalota, finamente picada
8 folhas de hortelã, finamente picadas
8 folhas de manjericão, finamente picadas
1 c. chá de mel
1 lima, sumo e casca
pimenta preta acabada de moer

ingredientes para a salada:

130 g couscous
1 abacate, cortado às fatias
50 g tomates cereja
50 g pepino, cortado cubos
3 rabanetes, cortado rodelas finas
4 cebolinhas, finamente picado
50 g agriões
50 g queijo feta
sementes tostadas (1 c. sopa de sementes cânhamo, abóbora e girassol)
folhas de hortelã
folhas de manjericão

Primeiro preparar o molho de morango, juntando todos os ingredientes numa taça e deixar de repouso durante 30 minutos, para o sabor se intensificar.
O segundo passo é preparar o couscous, conforme indicado na embalagem. No meu caso, juntar numa taça, 1 porção de couscous (130 g), adicionar 1 porção igual de água a ferver (130 ml) e uma pitada de sal. Deixar repousar durante 3 minutos, findo os quais se deve mexer com um garfo até ficar uma mistura solta. Reservar.
Depois basta preparar a salada servindo o couscous com o molho de morango, abacate, tomates cereja, pepino, rabanete, cebolinha  e agriões. Por cima espalhar o queijo feta aos bocados, as sementes tostadas e as folhas de manjericão e hortelã.
Servir com molho de iogurte, sementes de papoila, vinagre de vinho tinto e azeite.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Salsa and Avocado Couscous Salad
serves 2

ingredients (strawberry salsa):

200 g strawberries, rinsed and chopped into small slices 
1 shallot, finely minced 
8 mint leaves, finely chopped 
8 basil leaves, finely chopped 
1 teaspoon honey 
1 lime, zest and juice 
freshly ground black pepper

ingredients for the salad:

130 g couscous
1 avocado, sliced
50 g cherry tomatoes
50 g cucumber, sliced into cubes
3 radishes, thin slices
4 spring onions, finely chopped
50 g watercress
50 g feta cheese
toasted seeds (1 tbsp. of hemp, pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
mint leaves
basil leaves


First prepare the strawberry salsa, mixing all the ingredients in a bowl and let it chill for 30 minutes, to intensify the flavour.
The second step it to prepare the couscous according to directions in the package. In my case, in a bowl, add a portion of couscous (70 g), add an equal portion of boiling water and a pinch of salt. Let it stand for 3 minutes and then stir with a fork until a loose mixture. Set aside.
Then just prepare the salad serving the couscous with the strawberry sauce, avocado, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, radish, spring onions and watercress. Spread over the salad the crumbled feta cheese, toasted seeds and basil and mint leaves.
Serve with yoghurt sauce, poppy seeds, red wine vinegar and olive oil.

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Continuing WIth the Theme of Light, Bright and Healthy!

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Make Continuing WIth the Theme of Light, Bright and Healthy!

This dish would work wonderfully well either roasted off in the oven or on your grill using an aluminum roasting pans made just for this purpose! Fresh colorful vegetables barely altered by the addition of tons of other ingredients...just those that enhance their natural deliciousness. Stop and think about it for a minute...roasted vegetables will go with pasta, chicken, pork, beef and even chilled off and served as a side dish for a barbecue! There are always the standby vegetables that you can find at the grocer at almost anytime of year, but keep an eye out for that perfect "in season" vegetable that will bring that extra freshness to your dish!

 

Roasted Vegetables

Prep time:  20 mins
Cook time: 35 mins
Total time: 55 mins

Ingredients

Serves 10 as a side dish

6 medium yellow potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into ¾" to 1" thick pieces
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced into ¾" - 1" thick pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into ½" thick rounds
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large or 2 medium zucchini, sliced into ¾" thick rounds
2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into 1" pieces
1.5 Tbsp garlic salt, or to taste
Freshly grated black pepper, to taste
Extra light olive oil, or avocado oil, or vegetable oil
½ cup shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese 

Needed Equipment
(2) 9x13 metal baking pans or (1) large roasting pan lined with foil.

Directions

Preheat Oven to 450˚F with the oven rack in the center of the oven.

Line baking pans with foil and generously grease with about 1 Tbsp olive oil in each pan.

Start with the vegetables that take longer to bake: place potatoes, butternut squash, carrots and ½ of chopped garlic into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and 1 Tbsp garlic salt, or to taste. Stir to coat the veggies evenly. Divide this mixture into your two prepared baking pans and roast uncovered at 450˚F for 10 minutes.

In the same mixing bowl, combine remaining veggies: zucchini, bell pepper, remaining chopped garlic, 1 Tbsp olive oil, black pepper and ½ Tbsp garlic salt, or to taste and stir well to combine.

Remove roasting pans from the oven and quickly place the mixed vegetables evenly over the top. Return to the oven and roast an additional 20-25 minutes or until potatoes and squash are tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and place under the broiler for 1-2 min or until cheese melts.

(If you like, instead of grated parmesan cheese, use panko! The caloric, sugar, fat and sodium count in panko is far less....carbs are about the same but still fairly low when you consider that the 1/2 cup will be broken down into 10 portions!)

 

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A lite and Summery Dessert!

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Make A lite and Summery Dessert!

Semifreddo is a traditional Italian dessert that combines whipped cream and custard into a frozen dessert. The result is a light and airy treat that’s not as dense as ice cream or frozen yogurt. Here, we fold in nectarine purée to complement the fresh nectarine slices that decorate the top.

Nectarine Semifreddo

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

6 ripe but firm nectarines, divided
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions  
Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or 2 pieces of parchment paper, cut to fit both lengthwise and crosswise leaving a 4-inch overhang. Or line an 8x2-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap.

Pit and slice 2 of the nectarines. Arrange half of the nectarine slices in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Reserve remaining slices.

Peel, pit and cut remaining nectarines into cubes and purée in a blender or food processor. You should have about 1 cup purée. Set aside.

Create a double boiler of sorts by filling a medium sauce pan with about 1 inch of water. Bring water to a simmer.  In a large metal bowl, whisk together yolks, granulated sugar and vanilla. Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly until mixture has thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from the heat and whisk 1 to 2 minutes longer to cool. Fold nectarine purée into egg mixture until evenly blended.

Beat heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on high speed in a large bowl just until soft peaks form. Keep cold until ready to use. Fold custard mixture into whipped cream, in thirds, just until blended. Carefully spread half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange a single layer of the remaining nectarine slices and top with remaining cream mixture. Fold plastic wrap or parchment overhang over top to seal. Cover with additional layer of parchment or plastic wrap if necessary.

Freeze overnight. To serve, invert the pan onto a serving platter and gently remove the plastic wrap or parchment paper. Slice and serve immediately.

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Frozen Vanilla Custard – Western NY for French Vanilla Ice Cream

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Make Frozen Vanilla Custard – Western NY for French Vanilla Ice Cream

If you’re thinking that I’ve already posted a video recipe for vanilla ice cream, I have, but for what I consider a “real” vanilla ice cream, which means no eggs. That’s called an American-style ice cream, and features a cleaner, more pronounced vanilla flavor.

The French weren’t into that. They froze their famously delicious custard, and the rest is history. While I prefer the later, I have to admit they won, since it is the style that dominates the freezer case.

I like to use pure vanilla extract over the whole bean, mostly because it’s easier, cheaper, and always consistent. Having said that, it’s hard to argue against the whole bean, so feel free to go full foodie. Speaking of which, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, there are plenty of “hacks” online that work fairly well.

I would have called this French vanilla ice cream, but where I grew up, this is called frozen custard. It’s traditionally served soft, in cones, but I prefer to freeze it firm. That way, I get French vanilla ice cream, and as it melts, I also get soft-serve frozen custard. Now that’s a win-win. Anyway, stay tuned for homemade cones, and in the meantime, I really hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 1 quart of Frozen Vanilla Custard aka French Vanilla Ice Cream

5 large egg yolks

pinch of salt

2/3 cup white sugar

1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or one split/scraped whole vanilla bean)

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When I Say South or Southern in This Recipe, I am Talking Italy!

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Make When I Say South or Southern in This Recipe, I am Talking Italy!

Squid (or calamari, its Italian name) can be prepared in a variety of ways — fried, braised, grilled and roasted — and all are good. In this recipe whole squid are stuffed before roasting with a bread crumb filling that contains typical Sicilian ingredients like chard, fennel, anchovy, Pecorino and pine nuts.

Stuffed Squid Sicilian-Style

Ingredients

12 ounces chard or spinach, chopped, about 6 cups

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced, about 1 1/2 cups

2 medium fennel bulbs, finely diced, about 1 1/2 cups

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds

2 teaspoons ground fennel seed

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3/4 cup homemade dry bread crumbs

2 ounces grated Pecorino cheese, about 1/4 cup

1 1/2 pounds cleaned medium squid, with tentacles

2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

The Filling 

Blanch the chard in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and cool under running water. Squeeze chard completely dry and finely chop. Set aside.

Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.

Add fennel fronds, fennel seed, anchovy, garlic, oregano and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes more.

Turn off heat and transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add pine nuts, lemon zest, bread crumbs, cheese and reserved cooked chard. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Taste and correct seasoning.

Putting it all Together!

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice each baby squid removing all the the tentacles in one fell swoop leaving the tube intact and a little medallion of squid with all its tentacles. Make sure that you have thoroughly cleaned out the tube, removing the clear cuttle bone by simply pulling it out. Using a teaspoon, put some filling in each squid body, taking care not to over stuff. Place stuffed squid in an earthenware baking dish in one layer. Season squid on both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season tentacles with salt and pepper and arrange them around the edge of dish (alternatively, arrange tentacles in a separate baking dish). Drizzle tentacles lightly with oil. Spoon any remaining stuffing over tentacles.

Roast uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until squid bodies are puffed, sizzling and lightly browned. If desired, run pan under the broiler for more color. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. (May also be served at room temperature.) Serve each person 3 or 4 squid, with tentacles.

A crisp light white wine would be delicious with this recipe and if you are so inclined, a loaf of garlic rosemary bread or rolls!

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A Combination of Three Great Flavors all Wrapped Up into one Delicious Pasta!

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Make A Combination of Three Great Flavors all Wrapped Up into one Delicious Pasta!

If you have a little extra time on your hands, I would really encourage you to make your own pasta for this recipe.  But if time or the daunting idea of making your own pasta scares you, then by all mean purchase ready made sheets of pasta and make this recipe for your family and friends who will love is just the same.....and as Julia Child had said many times, "No one will ever know!"

Chicken, Spinach and Goat Cheese Ravioli

Ingredients

Ravioli Dough

(makes 12-18 ravioli using mold) 
1 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Ravioli Filling 
1/3 cup cooked spinach (or 1/2 bunch raw spinach – to be cooked)
2 oz goat cheese (feta if you prefer a stronger flavor)
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
nutmeg
salt and pepper

Mushroom and Parmesan Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
nutmeg
2 tablespoons white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 to 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, grated
chopped chives, leeks, for garnish

Directions

Ravioli Dough

Mix flour with salt.

Stir water with egg until well mixed.

In a bowl, combine flour and egg-water mixture together and mix until well incorporated. Sprinke some flour over working surface and over your hands as you knead the dough. Knead the dough until well-textured and firm. The dough should not be too wet or too sticky. It should only stick to itself, but not to your hands. It should not be too dry, either. Make the dough into a ball or disk, wrap with plastic wrap. Let the dough stand for 1 hour at room temperature before using. This allows gluten to work.

This amount of dough enough to make dough for 12 raviolis, using the mold (ravioli mold makes 12 ravioli). If you need to make 24 ravioli, make a second batch of this dough.

Ravioli Filling

Cook spinach until wilted and all liquid is gone. All liquid should be evaporated – it’s important. Press Spinach between layers of paper towels to remove any liquid. Chop spinach.

Soften goat cheese by heating it up in microwave oven for about 5-10 seconds. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl: chopped spinach, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese. Add a little bit of nutmeg to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Your filling should not be runny, it should be pretty firm, which is why it’s important to make sure spinach has no liquid from step 1. If your filling is a bit runny from softened cheese, put the bowl with ravioli filling in the refrigerator to firm up.

Assemble Ravioli

Unwrap ravioli dough from plastic, divide in 2 equal parts. Flour working area. Roll out each part of pasta dough very thinly, on a floured surface, using a roller. Make sure to flour the upper portion of pasta dough and the roller to avoid sticking. Lift the rolled dough several times during rolling to make sure it doesn’t stick to the counter, and flour working surface with more flour, if necessary.

Flour the ravioli mold. After you have rolled the 2 portions of dough very thinly, place first layer of dough on the ravioli mold, so that it covers all 12 holes.

Place a small portion of ravioli filling into each indentation, making sure not to overfill. The filling should be at the same level or lower as the flat part of the mold. Place second layer of pasta dough on top of filled ravioli.

Using a roller pin, roll across the mold and along the edges to separate ravioli. As you roll the pin, it also removes all air from ravioli, which is very important for ravioli success. By now you should have extra dough hanging off the outside 4 edges of ravioli mold – carefully separate it. Continue rolling the pin along the inside edges of 12 raviolis to separate them from one another: you could also use your fingers to press across the edges to separate ravioli.

Flip ravioli mold to release ravioli. Bring a large pot of water to boil Boil ravioli for 5 minutes, drain and set aside – to be used with sauce below.

Or, alternatively, if you’re not using ravioli right away, place them on a plate or baking sheet in the freezer to freeze. After they are frozen, place them in a plastic bag and keep frozen until needed.

Mushroom and Parmesan Cream Sauce

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, a bit of nutmeg and cook for about 7 minutes until mushrooms soften and garlic is fragrant.

Add half-and-half, bring to boil. Remove from heat, add grated Parmesan cheese, mix until cheese is melted and mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

After you have boiled ravioli for 5 minutes, drain them and add ravioli to the sauce to coat. To serve, place ravioli and sauce on plates. Garnish with with chopped chives or leeks.

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