IMPROMPTU PASTA DINNER

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

It was a dark and stormy night… no, not really, but it was a busy day at work and we wanted to go home, get some comfy clothes, kick back and relax.  My night to cook: I pulled out a cookbook, but even browsing for recipes seemed like an herculean effort, so I opened the fridge searching for inspiration. Voila’: half a bunch of asparagus! In the pantry, I spotted a can of Muir fire-roasted tomatoes (love that stuff!).  It was all that I needed.  Dinner took shape in less than 20 min, resulting in two happy humans and an enjoyable evening ahead of us.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS COINS and TOMATOES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 shallot
1 T olive oil
fresh asparagus
1 small can Muir fire-roasted tomatoes
salt and pepper
grated parmiggiano-reggiano cheese
pasta of your preference

Set a large pot with salted water to boil.

Using a sharp knife, cut the asparagus into small coins, trying to get them in similar sizes, about 1/4 inch thick.  Dice the shallot.  Open the can of tomatoes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, saute the shallots until translucent, immediately add the asparagus coins, and cook them in medium-high heat, moving them around. Season with salt and pepper, and try a bite after a couple of minutes.  They should be still very firm.   Add the tomatoes, cook for a few more minutes, adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain and add to the skillet with the asparagus/tomato sauce.  Cook them together for a minute or so, add parmiggiano on top and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Slicing asparagus in little coins is a fun way to enjoy it.  In Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Anne Burrell made a salad of raw asparagus cut this way – I’ve been saving the recipe to try it when Spring comes.  Time for a little disclaimer:  we understand that buying asparagus in mid-winter is politically incorrect.  Yes, they traveled a long distance.  But, we needed an asparagus-fix. It might even speed the arrival of Spring!   😉

SWEETENING A RAW DEAL

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by

We have weekly lab meetings, in which one member presents his or her work to the group. This year, to accommodate everyone’s busy schedule, we set the meetings for (ready for this?) 7:45 am on Fridays.

Talk about a tough pill to swallow! 😉

To soften the blow I often bake something for the event, but as a result of my cake-phobia, I usually resort to cookies or breads. However, last week I baked a recipe from (gasp) The Cake Bible. Before anyone who knows me goes into shock, let me clarify that this is NOT a real cake. It’s a much safer chocolate bread. The loaf ended on a happy note, but when I was finished baking my poor kitchen looked as if a herd of  elephants had blasted through. I’m not sure why I can make bread, pasta or savory pies from scratch, and my kitchen remains neat and tidy.  Bake a cake, on the other hand, and it’s indoor tornado season (sigh).

CHOCOLATE BREAD
(from Rose Levy Beranbaum‘s The Cake Bible)

0.75 ounce unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
1.5 ounces boiling water
1 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
5.25 ounces sifted cake flour
6 ounces sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
13 tablespoons (6.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

Heat the oven to 350F. Prepare a loaf pan (8 x 4x 2.5 inch) by greasing it with butter, covering the bottom with parchment paper, greasing it with butter, and covering the pan with a dusting of flour.

Whisk together the cocoa powder and the boiling water until smooth, then let it cool to room temperature. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Add the remaining dry ingredients to a large bowl, and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend them together. Add half of the chocolate mixture and all the butter. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed to aerate it. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and beat the other ingredients in two additions, beating for 20 seconds each time. Spoon the batter in the prepared loaf pan, smooth the surface with a spoon or spatula.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (Mine took 60 minutes). If the cake is browns too much, then protect it by covering it loosely with aluminum foil. If you want to have a nice slashed look on the loaf, make a cut with a serrated knife 20-25 minutes into baking time, when the loaf will be starting to form a central split. Make the shallow cut quickly, around 6 inches long.

Once the cake is baked, allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove it to a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you are cake-challenged, this recipe is for you. It’s simple to prepare, and even if it doesn’t look stunning like Johnny Depp, it’s still mighty tasty.  The first bite may seem bland, but the cake slowly dissolves in your mouth – it’s the butter doing the talking – and a very pleasant chocolate flavor warms you up.  The kind of cake that makes you go back for “just another little slice”.  Surely enough,   by 10am on Friday, only crumbs were left over the conference room table.   😉

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BBA#43: ROASTED ONION and ASIAGO CHEESE MICHE

Posted in BBA Challenge, Breads by

Photo courtesy of  PJG, thanks!

With this bread, I completed the BBA CHALLENGE!


For a PDF version, click here (breads are ranked from one to five stars)

A big thank you to Nicole for setting up this event, and of course to Peter Reinhart for his wonderful book.  I’ve had it many years, but never imagined that one day I’d say that “…I baked them all!”

ROASTED ONION AND ASIAGO CHEESE MICHE

This last bread took 3 days to prepare.  The sourdough sponge, made on the first day, was mixed and shaped on the second day, and  after a night in the fridge it was topped with roasted onions and grated asiago cheese, then finally baked.   I made a half  recipe, which was still  enough for one  big round loaf.

The onions can be prepared the day before…

and added to the bread 30 minutes before baking ….

The dough contains a lot of grated asiago cheese,  so each bite acquires its sharp flavor, mellowed  by the sweet roasted onions.   What a beautiful combination!

You can check the Roasted Onion Asiago bread made by Oggi (the first baker to complete BBA Challenge) by clicking here….

Our five favorite breads from the challenge were:
Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedo
Roasted Onion and Asiago Miche
Vienna Bread
New York Deli Rye
Potato Rosemary Bread

To all my virtual fellow challengers baking along this tasty path, have fun with it.   I’ll be watching and cheering for you!  😉

SEARED TUNA is MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Posted in Seafood by

…. Get out of the steak you’re in! 😉

We don’t often dine out, simply because we prefer to cook at home:  it’s less expensive, less caloric and more satisfying.  The only real exception is sushi, which I don’t attempt to make.   But,  if a restaurant menu offers “seared tuna,”  then that’s usually my selection!   I like  it served cold (our local sushi restaurant makes a killer seared tuna salad with creme fraiche and wasabi dressing), I like it served warm (over pasta, rice, or soba noodles), and I feel great after eating it.  Seared tuna is a fantastic, weeknight-friendly dish:   ten minutes tops from the refrigerator to plating.

I slightly adapted this recipe from “The Improvisational Cook“, by Sally Schneider, and served it with a crispy potato / spinach / escarole salad based on this recipe.   It’s a healthy, tasty dinner, that reinforced my infatuation with seared tuna.

TUNA WITH SESAME SEEDS, CRACKED CORIANDER and CRISPY GINGER
(adapted from Sally Schneider)

2 ahi-tuna steaks (sushi-quality)
3-inch piece of ginger, sliced very thin
3 Tbs peanut oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup cracked coriander seeds
1/16 cup nigella seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the ginger slices and cook over low heat for 7-8 minutes until the ginger is crisp. Transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon, season lightly with salt, and reserve the ginger slices and the oil.

Place the sesame seeds, cracked coriander, and nigella seeds in a plate. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper, then press both sides of the steaks on the seeds mixture.

Heat the ginger oil in a non-stick skillet until hot, but not smoking. Place the steaks in the oil, and cook for 90 seconds on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board, slice with a sharp knife, scatter the crispy ginger, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you can’t find top-quality tuna steaks, then don’t attempt this recipe.  The fish will be nearly raw in the middle, so only the best quality tuna will rise to the challenge. If you prefer it a little more cooked, then give it an additional 30 seconds on each side, but avoid over-cooking.

To crack the coriander seeds I placed them in a small ziplock bag and used a meat mallet. Be gentle because they crack easily; you don’t want to turn them into powder.   Other mixtures also work well, like cracked black pepper or mustard seeds.  Nuts easily burn, but the searing takes less than 2 minutes,  so it’s not a problem as long as the oil isn’t smoking hot.

I’d never tried crispy ginger, and my husband thought it was a bit strong, but I liked it a lot.  Cut the slices as thin as possible.  The mandoline didn’t work as well as I’d hoped, so I ultimately used my chef’s knife.  Amazingly enough, I still have all ten fingers. 😉     Even if you don’t like the fried ginger, it is worth making it for the infused oil.

And now for something completely different…. savor this!

PUFF PASTRY for the PARTY

Posted in Appetizers by

Like many other cookaholics, we love dinner parties with friends and colleagues. It’s fun designing the menu, fun to shop for the ingredients, and fun to plan the preparation/presentation strategy for the meal.  Over the years we’ve learned some “tricks” that make life easier:  advance preparation; practicing the exotic dishes beforehand, so as to avoid using guests as guinea pigs; balancing the  labor-intensive and easy dishes.   This appetizer – that I found at Stephen Cooks! –  falls into the “trouble-free” category, to the point that, as Stephen put it  “it’s so simple that it feels like cheating“.

The secret is the use of commercial puff pastry, a life-saver in the kitchens of those who enjoy entertaining.   By all means, make your own if you prefer – but,  in this recipe the pastry is only a “crostini”, so the frozen product works well and saves time and effort.

QUICK SUNDRIED TOMATO CROSTINI
(adapted from Stephen Cooks!)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough
4 Tbs shredded Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
8 black oil-cured olives, minced
2 Tbs minced parsley (or other fresh herb of your preference)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
salt to taste
4 medium sundried tomatoes, chopped

Allow the pastry sheet to thaw at room temperature, until flexible enough to unfold. Cut in 12 rectangles. Place the cut pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, Silpat, or use a non-stick baking sheet.

Mix the cheese, tomato paste, garlic, olives and herbs. Season to taste. Beat the egg yolk with the water and brush the egg wash on the pastry rectangles.

Spread the cheese mixture on each and then top with a few pieces of the sundried tomato. Bake in a 400F oven for 12 minutes or until the pasty is golden brown. Allow to cool five minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: When I prepared the cheese mixture  it seemed a little too heavy on the tomato.   But, it wasn’t a problem, and I slightly increased the black olives;   otherwise I kept the recipe as Stephen posted it .    This spread will also work on “real” crostini, of course, but the puff pastry makes the recipe special.

Here they are, ready to go into the oven.  I cut the pastry using a ravioli cutter like this one.