Friday, September 28, 2007
Another Birthday Party!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Zucchini In Tomato Sauce
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Zucchini In Tomato Sauce
2 Pounds Zucchini, cut into ½ inch thick slices
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1 Onion, thinly sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
¼ Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1-14 Ounce Can Chopped Tomatoes
1/4 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Chopped Cilantro
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
Heat oil, fry the cumin and mustard seeds for 2 minutes until they begin to sputter. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5-6 minutes. Add the ground turmeric, chili powder, coriander, cumin and salt and fry for 2-3 minutes more. Add the zucchini and cook 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, and water; then cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the fresh cilantro and garam masala. Cook 5 minutes more or until the zucchini are tender.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Birthday Bouillabaisse
Pear and Brie Baguette, Yummy!
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I also want to steal Francisca's dining table....it expands to seat a million people!
Here we go...Dinner is almost ready.
So there is an art to serving Bouillabaisse. You lay a piece of french bread in your bowl, spoon a ladle of broth over the top, cover with the seafood and then top with an aioli....I wanted to pass out it was so good! I actually ate so much I almost didn't have room for desert.
Carrot Cake, do I need to say anything more than CREAM CHEESE FROSTING? Thank you Francisca for indulging me with this most amazing yumminess!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter
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2 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Ravioli dough or 3/4 pound sheet pasta purchased from local Italian delicatessen
Flour, for dusting board
4 tablespoons sweet butter
8 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces Parmesan, for grating
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut squash in 1/2 and scrape out seeds. Spread 1 tablespoon molasses in the cavity. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheed and cover with foil. Cook in the oven until very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly and scrape out flesh into large mixing bowl and mash with large whisk or electric mixer.
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to brown. Immediately remove from heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and all the vinegar. Add to squash with mascarpone, Parmesan, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and mix well. The recipe can be made ahead to this point (makes 2 cups filling,) Cover well and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.
To fill the raviolis: Lay out a sheet of pasta dough on a lightly floured board. Cut into circles with a 3 1/2 inch pastry cutter. Put 1 tablespoon squash filling in the center of 1/2 the rounds using either a pastry bag or a small spoon. Leave a 1/2-inch border all around the filling. Moisten borders with water and top with remaining rounds of dough. Press all the air out and seal firmly by pressing all around with fingertips. Lay raviolis out to dry on a lightly floured board or baking sheet and lightly flour the tops. Repeat until you run out of dough and/or filling. To cook, boil in lightly salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 2 ounces of the cooking water.
Uncooked, filled raviolis may be used immediately or frozen for 2 months. Lay them out on sheet pans and place in freezer until frozen. Transfer to plastic bag.
Sage Brown Butter
While raviolis are cooking, in a large saute pan, melt the butter with the sage and a pinch of salt until it foams and becomes light brown. Reserve. On medium heat toss the cooked raviolis in the sage butter then transfer to a serving platter or dishes. Add 2 ounces of the cooking water to the pan and swirl with any residual butter. Spoon the butter sauce over the raviolis, then finish with a generous grating of Parmesan.
*Recipe from Food Network, Michael Chiarello
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Pasta with Spinach Pesto Sauce
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Pasta with Spinach Pesto Sauce
10 Ounce Bag Baby Spinach
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
2 Ounces Goat Cheese, at room temperature
2 Ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Pound Pasta
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
Cook pasta according to directions, reserve some of the pasta water.
While pasta is cooking you can make your sauce. In bowl of food processor mince garlic. Add half of the spinach, goat cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper and process until smooth and creamy, place in large bowl or serving dish. Roughly chop the remaining spinach and add to bowl. Drain pasta and place into bowl with the pesto sauce and stir to combine, add a little reserved pasta water if sauce it too dry. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Fresh Pasta
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1 Cup Semolina Flour
1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
4 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Add all ingredients to bowl of food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process about 30 seconds or until dough forms a ball. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30-45 minutes.
Process dough through pasta machine, adding additional four as necessary to make desired consistency. Cut pasta dough into desired shape.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Roasted Acorn Squash
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Friday, September 14, 2007
Bread Pudding with Brandy Sauce
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Pudding
3 Egg Yolks
Sauce
To make the sauce, heat the cream, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in medium saucepan until almost boiling. Mix the brandy and cornstarch together and stir into the cream mixture. Bring to a light boil, and cook until thickened.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Dinner At Val's
Ok, ok, ok, so I totally staged the rice and ingredients that go in it, what else would you expect?
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Jessica made this amazing dessert! It was fresh pears with sugar and cinnamon wrapped in filo dough, sprinkled with powdered sugar. I devoured the rest for breakfast today.
This dinner party was so much fun. We were throwing a baby shower for Jessica, and it turned into a little dinner party as well (I know complete shocker!) I made Indian food, all vegan. We had Tofu Saag, Indian Spiced Eggplant, Zucchini with Tomato Curry Sauce, Basmati Rice, Naan Bread, and Cucumber Riata, Yummy! I was a little nervous substituting soy products for the dairy in all the recipes, but they came out perfect. Val has the ideal kitchen with granite counters, a 6 burner range, and double ovens, I actually used all of them. Gary has the best wine cellar ever and we enjoyed Argyle Champagne, and an amazing '97 Chianti...I think I might move in!
My friend Greg and I are planning on a day of cooking on Wednesday, so get ready for some amazing new recipes!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Dry-Spiced Potatoes with Cauliflower
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1 Pound Potatoes, peeled and washed
1 Pound Cauliflower, broken into florets
½ Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
½ Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Salt
Chopped Fresh Cilantro, to garnish
Cut the peeled and washed potatoes into 1 inch cubes, and par-boil in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until just soft. Drain well and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry the cumin seeds for 2 minutes until they begin to sputter. Add the jalapeno pepper and fry for a further 1 minute.
Add the cauliflower florets to the pan, and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, spices and salt. Cook for a further 7-10 minutes, or until both vegetables are tender. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Coconut Curry Chicken
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1 Tablespoon Ground Almonds
1 Tablespoon desiccated coconut
1 ½ cups coconut milk
1 ½ Teaspoon ground coriander
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Crushed Garlic
1 ½ Teaspoons Grated Ginger
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cubed
3 Green Cardamom Pods
1 Bay Leaf
1 Dried Red Chili, crushed
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro
Dry roast the almonds and coconut in a wok, until they turn a shade darker. Transfer the mixture to a large glass bowl. Add the coconut milk, ground coriander, chili powder, garlic, ginger and salt to the bowl. Mix together well.
Heat the vegetable oil in the pan and add the chicken cubes, cardamom pods and bay leaf. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes to seal the chicken.
Pour in the coconut mixture and stir well. Lower the heat, add the chili and coriander, then cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the contests from sticking to the pan. Uncover the pan, then stir and cook for 2 minutes more, or until chicken is fully cooked.