Monday, July 14, 2008

Amatriciana - Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Chili Pepper

From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen

2 T veggie oil
1 T butter
1 med onion, chopped fine
1/4 inch thick slice of pancetta, cut into strips 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch long
1 1/2 c canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained and cut up
Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
Salt
3 T freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 T freshly grated romano cheese
1 lb pasta

Complements Bucatini, penne, rigatoni or conchiglie

1. Put the oil, butter and onion in a saucepan and turn on the heat to medium. Saute the onion until it becomes colored a pale gold, then add the pancetta. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Add the tomatoes, the chili pepper, and salt, and cook in the uncovered pan at a steady, gentle simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and hot pepper.

2. Toss the pasta with the sauce, then add both cheeses, adn toss thoroughly again.

Tomato Sauce with Olive Oil and Chopped Vegetables

From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen

2 c canned whole peeled tomatoes, cut up with their juice
2/3 c chopped carrot
2/3 c chopped celery
2/3 c chopped onion
salt
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 lbs pasta

This is an all-purpose sauce for most cuts of factory-made pasta, particularly spaghetti and penne.

1. Put carrot, celery, onion, and salt in a with a touch of oil and cook for 5-10 minutes until onions begin to turn clear.

2. Add tomatoes and cook at slow simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir from time to time.

3. Add the olive oil, raise heat slightly to bring to a stronger simmer, and stir occasionally, while reducing the tomato to as much of a pulp as you can with the back of a spoon. Cook for 15 minutes, then taste adn correct for salt.

Variation with Marjoram and Two Cheeses

The above sauce cooked through to the end, plus the following:

Marjoram, 2 tea if fresh, 1 if dried
2 T freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 T freshly grated romano cheese
2 tea extra virgin olive oil

1. While the sauce is simmering, add the marjoram, stir thoroughly, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

2. Off heat, swirl in the grated cheese, then the 2 tea olive oil. Toss immediately with the pasta.

Chicken Chilequiles

From Everyday Food

1 roast chicken, meat pulled off the bone and torn into small pieces
2-4 cloves of garlic
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatos
1/2 - 1 c chopped cilantro
sour cream
chunck or crumbled feta
tortilla chips

Put garlic in a pan with a little oil. Once golden, add chilis and cook a few more minutes til warm.

Add tomatoes, with our without juice, depending on preference, cook an additional 3-5 minutes.

Add chicken to pan and mix well. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes, or until chicken is warm.

Take pan off heat and add cilantro.

Put a handful of tortilla chips in a bowl and scoop chicken mixture onto chips. Add a slice or two of feta or a bit of crumbled feta, a couple spoonfuls of sour cream and any additional cilantro as desired.

Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs with Mint-Feta Sauce

From Everyday Food May 2008

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, quartered, layers separated
2 T olive oil
1 tea dried oregano
3 T red-wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 c crumbled feta (2 oz)
1/4 c plain low-fat yogurt
1 c fresh mint leaves

1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, zucchini, onion, oil, oregano and 2T vinegar, season with 1/2 tea salt and 1/4 tea pepper. Marinate at room temp for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight

2. Heat gril to medium. Skewer meat and veggies, alternating. Grill skewers until chicken is cooked through, 12-14 minutes

3. Meanwhile, make dipping sauce: In a food processor, blend feta, yogurt, mint, and remaining T vinegar until smooth.

Rice To Go With:

Sesame-Lime Rice

1 c long-grain white rice (or jasmine)
salt and pepper
2 T sesame seeds, toasted
1 T veggie oil
1/2 tea finely grated lime zest plus 1 T fresh lime juice

1. Make rice in rice cooker.

2. Toss rice with sesame seeds, oil and lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Lemon and Pine-nut Variation:

In step 2, replace veggie oil and lime zest and juice with same amounts of olive oil and lemon zest and juice; use 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts instead of sesame seeds.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Moosewood Muffins

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin.

wet ingredients
6 T butter, at room temp
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 2T milk
1/2 tea vanilla
2 cups chopped fruit, adn/or nuts and/or chocolate chips*

dry ingredients
2 c unbleached white all-purpose or pastry flour
1 tea baking powder
1/4 tea baking soda
1/4 tea salt
1/4 tea ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and then the milk and vanilla; the mixture will look lumpy. By hand with a rubber spatula, fold in fruit and/or nuts and/or chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula without over-mixing. Spoon about 1/3 c of the batter into each muffin cup.

Bake for 20 minutes, turn and bake another 10-15 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes.

Variations:
peach blueberry: 1 cup peeled and chopped fresh peaches and 1 cup fresh blueberries.
apple cranberry: 1 1/2 c peeled, cored and chopped granny smith apples, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped cranberries and 1 additional T of sugar.
mango banana chocolate chip: 1/2 c peeled, pitted, and chopped ripe mangos, 1 peeled adn chopped ripe banana, and 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips.
papaya red raspberry: 1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, and chopped adn 1 c fresh red raspberries.
peaches and pecans: 1 1/2 c peeled and chopped fresh peaches and 1/2 c chopped toasted pecans.
pear chocolate almond: 1 c peeled, cored and chopped ripe pears, 1/2 c chopped toasted almonds, and 1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips.
pumpkin apple cinnamon: 3/4 c cooked mashed pumpkin (or canned), 1 c peeled, cored, and chopped apples, and an additional 1/4 tea cinnamon.
pumpkin pecan chocolate chip: 3/4 c cooked mashed pumpkin (or canned), 1/2 c chopped toasted pecans, and 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips.
strawberry chocolate almond: 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries, 1/2 c chopped toasted almonds, and 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Salmon with Rhubarb Ginger Chutney - westcoastcooking.com

(Serves 4)

For the Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney:
2 stalks rhubarb, chopped, (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
For the Salmon:
4 filets of Copper River Salmon, or other king salmon, skin removed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons light olive oil or corn oil

1.) To make the chutney, stir the rhubarb, crystallized ginger, raspberry vinegar and salt in a non-reactive (stainless steel or enameled) saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture is beginning to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until rhubarb is very tender and beginning to disintegrate. Chutney may be served at once or kept, covered and refrigerated, for several days.
2.) To grill the salmon, wipe the grill with a cloth dipped in olive oil, or spray it with an oil mister. Position the grill 4 inches above a bed of the glowing coals and wipe it with an oily cloth. Sprinkle the filets with salt and pepper and rub with oil.
3.) Place the filets, skinned-side up onto the rack and allow them to broil for 5 minutes. If the oil ignites, cool the flames with a little water splashed from a cup or streamed from a squirt gun. With a long spatula, turn the filets once and allow them to broil for 5 minutes more. Transfer to a warm platter or serving plates.

Butterscotch Brownies - Grandma Helton

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Nuts

Steps:

1. Melt butter over low heat.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in brown sugar until blended.
3. Cool. Stir in egg.
4. Sift together and stir in: flour, baking powder, salt.
5. Stir in vanilla and nuts.
6. Spread in well greased and floured square pan (8 x 8 x 2),
7. Bake 20 - 25 minutes in 350 oven. (Appears soft when removed from oven because interior is supposed to be soft.)
8. Cut while warm into squares (about 18).

Snickerdoodles - Grandma Helton

Ingredients:

1 Cup Butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
2 3/4 Cup Flour
1 teaspoon Soda
(2 Tablespoon Sugar, 2 teaspoon Cinnamon)

Steps:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400.
2. Mix thoroughly: butter, sugar, eggs.
3. Sift together and stir in: flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt.
4. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts.
5. Roll in mixture of sugar-cinnamon.
6. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8 - 10 minutes until lightly browned but still soft. (These cookies puff up at first ... then flatten out with crinkled tops.) - 5 dozen.

Traditional Apple Pie

Recipe courtesy Lea S. Cole
Show: Follow That Food
Episode: Follow That Apple

Pie Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 tablespoons cold water, plus 5 tablespoons cold water, as needed

Filling:
6 Jonagold apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To prepare the piecrust, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons water over the flour, and gently toss with a fork. Push the flour to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining cold water, and mix until all is moistened and combined. Divide the dough in half, and form each half into balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

In a large mixing bowl toss the apples with lemon juice. Combine the sugar, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the apples and toss until completely coated. Set mixture aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one ball into a 12-inch circle, and place into a 9-inch pie plate.

Transfer the apple mixture into the pastry lined pie plate. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the apple mixture. For the top crust, roll out remaining dough, place on top, and seal and flute the edge. Cut slits on top crust to allow steam to escape.

To make the egg wash, crack egg in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, whisk, and brush on top of the pie. Cover pie with foil to prevent over browning, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until crust is golden and apples are tender.

Serve warm with ice cream or just plain.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Cream Cheese Kolacky - Grandma Kosmak

8 oz Cream cheese
1/2 lb butter
2 c flour
2 T sugar
2 t Baking Powder

Cream butter and cheese together, then work in flour which has been sifted with baking powder and sugar. Knead to form a stiff dough. Roll out 1/4" thick. Fill with desired filling. Bake 350 for 20m.

Kolacky - Grandma Kosmak

1 lb Butter
1 8oz + 3oz Cream Cheese
4 c Flour
4 egg yolks beaten
1 T powdered sugar
1/2 t salt

Mix well and fridge overnight. Roll to 1/4" thickness and form to desired shape. Fill with desired filling. 12m-15m 350-375.