cavatelli with prosciutto, leeks, & arugula

Despite my busy school schedule, I treat myself pretty well when it comes to dinner on weekdays.  But the weekend is when I really look forward to cooking and trying new recipes. One of my favorite times of each month is when the new Bon Appetit arrives.  I love browsing through the magazine for inspiration.  This month the pappardelle with arugula and proscuitto really stood out. I love proscuitto and the leeks, lemon, and arugula just screamed spring.  The local grocery store unfortunately didn’t have fresh pappardelle or fettuccine which is what Bon Appetit suggests, so I settled for what has become the usual pasta in my house — cavatelli! Also, I need to credit my neighbors for the Parmesan cheese that I realized we didn’t have right as I started to cook!

By the way, I am totally aware that it is Cinco de Mayo and I am posting a completely un-festive recipe.  This was actually last night’s meal.  But if you are looking for a celebratory treat try this guacamole or these fajitas which I will be making tonight!

Cavatelli with Proscuitto, Leeks, & Arugula

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen cavatelli
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise, sliced crosswise
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 bunch arugula (about 4 cups)
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces prosciutto, torn into 1-inch pieces

Method

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large skillet.  Add leeks, and cook until softened but not brown (5-8 minutes).  Add pasta, lemon zest, chives and 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Cook, stirring often and adding pasta water as needed until a glossy sauce coats the pasta (about 4 minutes).

Add arugula, Parmesan, and pepper.  Toss to combine.  Add prosciutto right before serving and toss again.  Garnish with a touch of lemon zest and more Parmesan cheese.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

How I eat it: with a lot of Parmesan, crunchy bread, a fresh salad, and Chardonnay

skirt steak with accordion potatoes & cucumber-radish salad

Oh, yes — spring is upon us. And it’s finally starting to feel like it (okay, maybe I’m jumping the gun a little bit with that statement). I know I haven’t posted since January but here I am, back with a full meal for you.  And even better, it’s a meal for the grill to get you pumped up for the warmer weather to come!  I know a post with a meal may be overwhelming, but I am always debating what sides to make with a certain meat or fish, so I hope you find the ideas helpful!

This Sunday dinner was inspired by the May 2013 Food & Wine Magazine.  All three components of this meal are a slightly modified recipe from the spring-filled edition.

Ingredients

For the skirt steak:

• 2 lbs. skirt steak, trimmed of fat and scored
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

For the potatoes:

• 1 lb. fingerling or baby white potatoes
  
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• bay leaves

For the salad:

• 1 large cucumber or 3 Kirby cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 1 small dried red chile, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 large radishes, thinly slice
• 1 cup mixed herbs (I used parsley and dill)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

For the steak:

In a food processor, combine parsley, red onion, red pepper flakes, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper. Puree until nearly smooth.  Scrape marinade into large resealable bag. Add steak and turn until well coated, pressing marinade into steak.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Remove steak from marinade and let stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.  Light a grill, oil the grates, and brush steak with oil. Grill steak over high heat, turning once or twice, until lightly charred outside and medium inside (about 5-6 minutes per side).

Transfer steak to carving board and let sit for 10 minutes.  Slice across the grain.

   

For the potatoes:

Slice potatoes at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting down but not through the potatoes.  Transfer to a baking sheet covered with tin foil. Whisk olive oil with paprika.  Drizzle potatoes with 5 (out of the 6) tablespoons olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.  Insert small bay leaf into each potato and roast 45 minutes longer. (Note: Roasting time may depend on how large your potatoes are or how well your oven cooks — I adjusted the initial recipe times of 20 and 20 minutes.) Remove potatoes from oven, discard bay leaves, and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

   

For the salad:

In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine the cucumbers, garlic, chile, sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice.  Seal bag, shake, and squeeze slightly to mash the cucumbers and release the juices.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Drain cucumbers, reserving 2 tablespoon of cucumber juices. Discard garlic and chile. Whisk cucumber juice with remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add cucumbers, sliced radishes, and herbs. Season salad with pepper.

   

Recipes adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

How I eat it: with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon =)

fresh year; fresh pasta!

Happy 2013! Most people start the new year on a health kick, but in my family January 1st is a day to enjoy yourself.  Why not start the year with a dinner you actually want to eat!? You can begin being health-conscious on January 2nd!

Last year I took on beef bourguignon, this year my endeavor was homemade ravioli with a sweet tomato sauce.  I always talk about making fresh pasta, but never actually have.  But my brand new, old-fashioned pasta machine which was given to me for Christmas by my parents (thank you!) finally gave me the push to do it!

As I was slaving away making way more ravioli than was needed for 4 people, I realized a normal person would start with an easier pasta such as spaghetti or fettucine, or even lasagna, but of course I had to go big. So, I’ll warn you, you will spend about 2 to 2-1/2 hours making these ravioli, but it’s so worth it!

Homemade Ravioli with Ricotta-Basil Filling

Ingredients (serves 6 hungry eaters)

For the dough:

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 4 cups flour

For the filling:

• 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Method

First, make the filling. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Then, make the dough.  Pour flour into a large bowl, making a well in the center.  Add eggs to the well and mix with your fingers until dough comes together.  If dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it is no longer crumbly.  If dough is too wet, add flour.  The dough should stay together, but not stick to your fingers.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until completely consistent. Place dough onto a damp cloth and cut into 1-cm thick pieces – this will prevent it from drying out while you are rolling out the pasta sheets.

Before using the pasta machine, wipe it down with a dry cloth to remove any dust or oils. Then, roll a small piece of dough through several times to clean the rollers.

To start making the pasta, take a piece of dough and roll through the machine on the 1st and thinnest setting.  The dough will not be consistent the first time through. Fold the dough over and roll through again.  Then place machine on desired thickness and roll through a few times until desired consistency and thickness. Ravioli dough should be relatively thin (I used setting 2).

Lay the sheets of pasta onto a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.  Take spoonfuls of the filling and place about 1-1/2 inches apart about halfway up on the sheet.  Fold dough over and press out any air bubbles, starting close to the spots with the filling and working your way out.  Then, if you have a “pasta bike”, cut the ravioli and trim the edges.  Or, you can cut with a knife and crimp edges with a fork if desired.

                                 

When you are on the last sheet, bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil ravioli for 5 minutes and remove from water with a slotted spoon so they do not break.

Ravioli can also be frozen on the baking sheet and transferred to a bag to be stored in freezer.

Sweet Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped basil

Method

Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil.  Over medium heat, sauté the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add white wine and reduce by half.  Add the tomato pasta and stir until fully incorporated.  Add the crushed tomatoes, pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Serve hot.

                                 

How I eat it: with a lot of sauce and Parmesan cheese

Happy New Year & Enjoy!

chicken stew with biscuits

This post is dedicated to the many people affected by Hurricane Sandy. For everyone without electricity or heat or gas or worst of all, your home, I wish I could make every single one of you this chicken stew.

I want to thank everyone who helped my family while we were without power and heat. And now that we are fortunate enough to have returned to normalcy in my household, we are glad to provide warm food, beds, and showers to friends that are still without.

I’m sure I’m not alone in my new appreciation for the comfortable lives we lead and for life itself.

This recipe is the ultimate comfort food and it is the perfect thing to cook if you are in a position share it with someone (or two or three..) who could really use it right now.

                                            

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

Stew:

• 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 carrots, diced
• 10 oz. package frozen peas
• 1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 cup minced parsley

Biscuits:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 8 tbsp. (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, diced
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg, plus 1 tbsp. water for egg wash

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare sheet pan with cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts on sheet pan and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones, discard skin, and cut chicken into a large dice. Should yield about 4 cups of diced chicken.

While chicken is cooking, prepare the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until butter is the size of peas.  Keeping the mixer on low speed, add the half and half. Mix in the parsley. Transfer the dough to a well-floured board and with a floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 3/8-inch thick.  Cut out biscuits with a 2-1/2 round (I used a glass).

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock.  In a large saucepan, or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions and carrot over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Add the hot chicken stock and stir for 1 more minute over low heat.  Season with salt and pepper and add heavy cream.  Add the diced chicken, peas, onions, and parsley.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until frozen vegetables are heated through.

Prepare a 10 x 13 x 2 baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer stew to baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove stew from oven and arrange biscuits on top of the filling.  Brush them with egg wash and return to oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes until biscuits are browned and stew is bubbly.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

How I eat it: with extra biscuits on the side for dipping! (You may want to double the biscuit recipe like I did!)

pan-seared scallops in herb butter sauce

So, I planned on blogging weekly this summer. As you can probably tell, that did not happen.  Here’s my excuse: I get things done when I’m under pressure. That’s just the way I am. If I have a million things to do, I will get a million and one things done. This summer I was a big bum with no job. (My excuse here being that I am starting a graduate program in Environmental Toxicology at NYU this fall and after a stressful year teaching high school I deserved a break ..maybe not a 3 month break, but a break!) So basically, since I was a bum, absolutely nothing got done until it really had to.  Even though I truly enjoy blogging, it’s a task, and I didn’t want to complete tasks. Trust me, I cooked A LOT and took a ton of pictures, but I never got around to actually posting everything. Anyway, enough ranting about my summer of extreme procrastination..

I’m sure many of you are feeling a bit grim that it is Labor Day weekend and the school year is upon us, but I am here to bring you one last taste of summer! My family and I first had this recipe at our neighbor’s house last summer and since then we have enjoyed it as a light and fresh sunday summer meal.  The local farmer’s market always has sea scallops (DO NOT use bay scallops – ick!) so we pick up about a pound of those along with a nice baguette and voila! add a salad and it’s a meal.

Pan-Seared Scallops in Herb Butter Sauce

Ingredients (serves 3)

Scallops:

• 1 lb. large fresh sea scallops
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Herb Butter Sauce:

• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 Tbs. finely diced shallot
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

Rinse the scallops under cold water. Pat the scallops dry with paper towel. (If the scallops are not completely dry, you will not get a nice brown sear.) Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and butter and heat until butter is starting to brown. Place the scallops in the skillet in a single layer about 1 inch apart from each other. Sear until one side is browned (about 2-4 minutes). Using tongs, turn the scallops over and sear until the second side is browned (another 2-4 minutes). Transfer the scallops to a plate.

To make the sauce, lower the pan to medium heat and add half of the 3 Tbsp. of butter. Then add shallots and saute until tender (about 2 minutes). Add the wine and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the herbs, lemon zest, and the rest of the butter.

Return scallops and accumulated juices to the pan and coat the scallops in the sauce. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

How I eat it: with fresh bread and salad on the side

 So a little note to end the post – enjoy every last bit of summer, but don’t dread the fall. Look forward to pumpkin spiced goodies and apple crisp! Embrace autumn as it settles in. (It’s my personal favorite!)