1 pound rotelli or fusilli (corkscrew pasta)
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the walnuts, butter, salt and pepper. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan, then the cream.
When the pasta is done, place it in a large bowl while still very warm. Stir in the walnut sauce. Add the reserved pasta liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce completely coats the pasta, using only as much as needed. Sprinkle with the parsley, toss, and serve.
Yield: 4-6 servings
July 5, 2008
October 13, 2007
Cilantro pesto pasta
Cilantro Pesto:
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves
1 jalapeño pepper seeded and coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic crushed & peeled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs fresh lime juice
freshly ground pepper to taste (usually about 1/2 tsp)
Onion Mixture:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion (vidalia would work)
1 cup diced red bell pepper
4 1/2 oz can mild green chilies
12 oz dried orecchiette, gnocchi, or medium shell pasta
1 cup grated cheese (pepper jack or parmesan)
Put water to boil and make pesto - toast almonds until light golden and combine almonds with cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, salt & pepper in a food processor. Chop, then add 2 tbs of olive oil and lime juice, chop some more until mixture forms a paste.
Add pasta to boiling (slightly salted) water. While pasta is cooking heat 2 tsp of oil in a skillet. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until tender, stirring often (5 min or so). Add green chilies from a can and pesto and cook for another minute until uniformly heated.
Just before pasta is cooked scoop out 1/3 cup of pasta water and add to pesto. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl (warm up the bowl so it doesn't cool too fast and stick). Add onion-pesto mixture and cheese and toss until well coated.
Serve (feeds about 4 people).
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves
1 jalapeño pepper seeded and coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic crushed & peeled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs fresh lime juice
freshly ground pepper to taste (usually about 1/2 tsp)
Onion Mixture:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion (vidalia would work)
1 cup diced red bell pepper
4 1/2 oz can mild green chilies
12 oz dried orecchiette, gnocchi, or medium shell pasta
1 cup grated cheese (pepper jack or parmesan)
Put water to boil and make pesto - toast almonds until light golden and combine almonds with cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, salt & pepper in a food processor. Chop, then add 2 tbs of olive oil and lime juice, chop some more until mixture forms a paste.
Add pasta to boiling (slightly salted) water. While pasta is cooking heat 2 tsp of oil in a skillet. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until tender, stirring often (5 min or so). Add green chilies from a can and pesto and cook for another minute until uniformly heated.
Just before pasta is cooked scoop out 1/3 cup of pasta water and add to pesto. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl (warm up the bowl so it doesn't cool too fast and stick). Add onion-pesto mixture and cheese and toss until well coated.
Serve (feeds about 4 people).
October 10, 2007
Suffed baked tomatoes
2 or 3 large firm tomatoes or 4 to 6 small firm ones
3 tablespoons mascarpone
3 tablespoons goat cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 anchovies, finely chopped
1/4 cup panko or other coarse bread crumbs
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If necessary, slice a very thin layer off bottoms of tomatoes so they will stand upright. Core tomatoes, and carve them out, stopping about 3/4 inch from bottom and sides. (Do not remove too much, or tomato will collapse when baked.) Season inside of each tomato with salt. In a small bowl, stir together mascarpone and goat cheese.
2. To prepare topping, melt butter with oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and anchovies, and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in bread crumbs, and saute 2 minutes more. Season with pepper.
3. Fill each tomato with mascarpone mixture. Top generously with bread crumbs. Transfer tomatoes to a baking sheet, and bake until they are slightly blistered and the tops are golden, about 10 minutes.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
Courtesy of Steph
3 tablespoons mascarpone
3 tablespoons goat cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 anchovies, finely chopped
1/4 cup panko or other coarse bread crumbs
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If necessary, slice a very thin layer off bottoms of tomatoes so they will stand upright. Core tomatoes, and carve them out, stopping about 3/4 inch from bottom and sides. (Do not remove too much, or tomato will collapse when baked.) Season inside of each tomato with salt. In a small bowl, stir together mascarpone and goat cheese.
2. To prepare topping, melt butter with oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and anchovies, and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in bread crumbs, and saute 2 minutes more. Season with pepper.
3. Fill each tomato with mascarpone mixture. Top generously with bread crumbs. Transfer tomatoes to a baking sheet, and bake until they are slightly blistered and the tops are golden, about 10 minutes.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
Courtesy of Steph
September 26, 2007
Cream of mushroom and leeks soup
8 oz mixed mushrooms (Shitake, portabella, oyster), sliced
1 leek, trimmed and chopped coarsely
1/2 tsp freshly groud black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup half and half
1 liter of beef stock
4 tbsp of butter
Sautee mushrooms, leeks with salt and peper for 10-15 minutes (until soft). Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree with a blender, add half and half and bring back to boil. Enjoy!
1 leek, trimmed and chopped coarsely
1/2 tsp freshly groud black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup half and half
1 liter of beef stock
4 tbsp of butter
Sautee mushrooms, leeks with salt and peper for 10-15 minutes (until soft). Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree with a blender, add half and half and bring back to boil. Enjoy!
July 17, 2007
grilled baby bok choy
Baby bok choys, split in half
Olive oil (enough to brush on while cooking and then drizzle a bit when they come off the grill)
All the following ingredients should be “to taste”, depending on how much bok choy you have and how much olive oil you need to use.
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
Fresh, finely chopped basil
Fresh, finely chopped thyme
Garlic
Onion
combine the herbs, onion and garlic and mince together; add oil and lemon juice
Place split baby bok choy halves on hot grill, flat side down. It’s best to place them around the perimeter of the coals so the bulbous end is over the heat source (coals) and the leaves are closer to the outside. Close the cover so the heat begins to soften the bases of the bok choy. Check on them every few minutes and when the flat side has nice grill marks on it, turn them so the flat side is up. Stir olive oil because the ingredients settle at the bottom. Brush or spoon on the flat side. When the flat side is up, it will hold the oil instead of it all running off. Close again and grill about another 5 minutes.
Remove from grill and serve on platter, flat side up. If desired, drizzle additional oil over before serving.
June 27, 2007
Pho Bo
Work in progress
Stock:
3 l water
5 lb oxtail or beef short ribs
5 star anise
1 2" cinnamon stick
5 cloves
2 medium onions, halved
1 tsp black peppercorns
2-3' piece of ginger
1 lb chuck or similar cheap beef
5 tbsp Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
Boil oxtails vigorously for 5 minutes in water, discard water, rinse oxtail and the pot. Add 2 l of water and bring to boil. Add anise, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns. Char ginger and onion pieces over gas flame, then add to the pot. Boil gently uncovered for 30 min, skimming foam as needed. Add 1 l of water, bring back to boil and continue boiling gently and skimming foam. When foam stops rising, lower the flame to medium-low and simmer for another hour.
Add the stewing beef and fish sauce, simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Remove the beef, cool and slice as thinly as possible.
Discard all solids and filter the broth. Refrigerate to skim off fat.
At this point, the stock can be frozen and stored for a month.
Stock:
3 l water
5 lb oxtail or beef short ribs
5 star anise
1 2" cinnamon stick
5 cloves
2 medium onions, halved
1 tsp black peppercorns
2-3' piece of ginger
1 lb chuck or similar cheap beef
5 tbsp Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
Boil oxtails vigorously for 5 minutes in water, discard water, rinse oxtail and the pot. Add 2 l of water and bring to boil. Add anise, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns. Char ginger and onion pieces over gas flame, then add to the pot. Boil gently uncovered for 30 min, skimming foam as needed. Add 1 l of water, bring back to boil and continue boiling gently and skimming foam. When foam stops rising, lower the flame to medium-low and simmer for another hour.
Add the stewing beef and fish sauce, simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Remove the beef, cool and slice as thinly as possible.
Discard all solids and filter the broth. Refrigerate to skim off fat.
At this point, the stock can be frozen and stored for a month.
June 25, 2007
Chinese Halibut
Yield: 4 servings
4 lg halibut steaks, 1/2 lb each
3 tb finely chopped fresh ginger
6 tb finely chopped scallions
2 tb light soy sauce
1 tb dark soy sauce
2 tb chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tb Chinese sesame oil
1 1/2 tb minced fresh coriander
4 lg halibut steaks, 1/2 lb each
3 tb finely chopped fresh ginger
6 tb finely chopped scallions
2 tb light soy sauce
1 tb dark soy sauce
2 tb chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tb Chinese sesame oil
1 1/2 tb minced fresh coriander
Lay the halibut steaks on a platter. Puree the marinade ingredients in a blender and spread it evenly over the halibut steaks. Allow to marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator or 1 hour at room temperature. Approximately 40 minutes before you are ready to cook, make a charcoal fire and, when the coals are ash white, grill the halibut steaks for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve immediately.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)