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Category Archives: Main Course

Pepperoni Pizza Salad

Posted on August 31, 2010 by amydeline

My culinary muse is just over 3 feet tall and weighs in at about 34 pounds. He’s the pickiest eater of the bunch, yet has a knack for generating the most interesting recipe ideas, such as Ice Cream Pizza and Vanilla Soup. And then, last night at dinner, he started talking about Pizza Salad. It was perhaps, just a slip of the tongue, as he was awaiting a pizza with the option of salad on the side. But, my interest was piqued.

Little Muse

A moment later, my Pizza Salad plan was in place; chunks of pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and grape tomatoes, tossed with romaine lettuce and dressed with a tomato-balsamic vinaigrette. As a finishing touch, I’d add Italian seasoned pizza crust croutons and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The result; a salad oozing with Italian pizza flavors! My little muse is pure culinary genius, though he refused to taste even a bite of his creation.

Sometime later in the evening, my tiny inspiration came running at me from the dining room, where his child-sized pretend kitchen is arranged. He had a small plastic pan with a cover in his hands. He was clearly distressed. As he approached me, he lifted the lid on the pan to reveal a single green leaf of plastic lettuce. He was shouting, Oh no! I burned the salad! So, maybe the kid has got a little to learn about cooking, but at least he’s got ideas!

Pepperoni Pizza Salad

Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/8 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 5-7 Fresh Oregano Leaves, chopped
  • Salt
  • Crushed Red Pepper

For the Croutons

  • 1 Thick Prepared Pizza Crust
  • Olive Oil
  • Garlic Powder
  • Dried Parsley Flakes
  • Salt

For the Salad

  • Romain Lettuce, chopped
  • Small Cherry Tomatoes
  • Small Fresh Mozzarella Balls (Bocconcini)
  • Pepperoni, halved or quartered
  • Parmesan Cheese, grated

Directions

For the Croutons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a thick pizza crust into large crouton-sized pieces. Arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Spray or brush the bread cubes with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley flakes, and salt. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until the croutons are golden brown with a crispy exterior and slightly tender interior.

For the Dressing

Whisk to combine vinegar, oil, tomato paste, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and crushed red pepper.

To Compose the Salad

Toss the romaine, tomatoes, mozzarella, and pepperoni in a small amount of dressing to lightly coat. Top with pizza crust croutons and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

6 Comments

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Oven-roasted Pulled Pork and Summer Peach Pizza

Posted on August 26, 2010 by amydeline

Recently, I was having a conversation with someone who was tossing around the idea of opening a pizza shop in a city whose pizza market is predominated by chain restaurants. I suggested that as a way of setting himself apart, he should focus on using very fresh ingredients; local, seasonal, and organic when possible. In addition to offering a really good traditional pizza with traditional toppings, he could offer a special of the month, something a bit different, which features the most seasonal produce. As an example, I threw out peaches. Well, that got an odd look. So, I continued, Maybe with a BBQ type of sauce and pork or something. The odd look remained.

Over the next couple days, I mentioned this peach and pork pizza idea to a handful of other people, all of whom had the same confused reaction. Maybe I should have let it go, but for some reason, I couldn’t get this pizza off my mind. I mean, people put ham and pineapple on pizza. So why not pork and peaches?

I let the idea simmer in my brain for a while. The pork should be slow-cooked and tender, like pulled pork. The peaches would need to be roasted to make them extra sweet and tender. The sauce should full of tomato flavor, but with a definite sweet bbq accent. The cheese should be melty and mild. The more I thought it through, the more convinced I became that it would work.

So, I picked up a big pork shoulder and got cooking. Pulled pork is something which works best when cooked low and slow. There are several ways to do it, all of which can be successful. My preferred method is to oven-roast the pork, since I can use that method year round and I find that it produces a less mushy result than with a slow-cooker. You can decrease the cooking time by increasing the heat, but low and slow is your best bet for a tender roast, which will pull apart with ease. My recipe is sort of in middle as far as heat and time goes, but if you have more time on your hands, lower the heat and give it a bit more time.

For the sauce, I made a Honey Garlic BBQ sauce. I cooked the sauce along with the pork to pick up some of the pork flavor and allow the flavors to blend and concentrate. This also allows the onion and roasted garlic to slow cook for an even sweeter flavor. For a leaner end-result, you can cook the sauce separate from the roast.

Pulled Pork and Summer Peach Pizza

Ingredients

For the Roasted Garlic-Honey BBQ Sauce:

  • 1 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
  • 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Mustard
  • 1/4 cup Worchestire
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1 tsp Cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 head Roasted Garlic, cloves removed from the skin*
  • 1 Small Onion, chopped

For the Roast:

  • 1 5-7 pound Pork Shoulder
  • Paprika
  • Brown Sugar
  • Salt
  • Cayenne Pepper

For the Peaches:

  • 2 Peaches, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

For the Pizza:

  • 2 12″ Prepared Pizza Crusts
  • 2-3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1/3 cup Chives, finely chopped

*Click here for my guide to roasting garlic.

Directions

To prepare the roast, trim the excess fat from the exterior. Rub the roast all over with paprika, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a heavy dutch oven pan with a tight fitting lid or in a baking dish that is just big enough to hold the roast, combine all sauce ingredients. Place the roast on top of the sauce and cover. If using a baking dish, tightly seal the pan with foil. Place it in the oven and cook for about 5 hours. No need to check, stir, or baste. Just pop it in a let it do its thing. You’ll know it’s done when the meat starts to pull away from the bone and the internal temperature, as measured with an instant-read thermometer, has reached at  least 170 degrees. You can also test the meat by scraping a fork into a piece of the roast. It should easily shred from the roast.

For the peaches, place the thin slices in a small baking dish and toss with the brown sugar. You can omit the sugar, if desired, but the small amount of sugar gives the peaches a very light, sweet glaze. Place the baking dish in the oven during the last 30 minutes of the roast’s cooking time.

When the roast is cooked, remove from the oven. Carefully lift the roast from the pan and place it on a rack or in a colander to cool for about 15 minutes.

While the roast is cooling, pour the sauce through a strainer to remove the chunks of onion, garlic, and any pork pieces. Allow the sauce to settle. Then, pour off any excess fat, which will rise to the top or use a spoon to remove the fat. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with more salt, cayenne, or honey, as desired.

When the pork is cool enough to handle, but still warm, use a fork to begin pulling the meat. If you scrape the fork against the meat, it should start pulling apart easily. Discard any fatty chunks. I like to go back over the meat with my fingers after pulling it, to make sure there are no slimy, fatty bits remaining.

Pour the sauce over the meat and toss to combine.

For the pizza, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scatter the sauced pork in an even layer over the crust. Place several slices of peach on top of the pork. Sprinkle with a good layer of mozzarella cheese. Garnish with the chopped chives. Bake for about 12 minutes until everything is hot, the cheese is melty and the edges of the crust are golden.

Makes 2 12-inch Pizzas (plus leftover pulled pork for sandwiches!)

This pizza was really good. Even my skeptical husband was pleased!

10 Comments

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Schnitzel and Spaetzle, Oh My!

Posted on August 23, 2010 by amydeline

We’re home. Time to get cooking!

In my last blog entry, I posted a picture of the Cheese Spaetzle which my husband and I enjoyed during one of our delicious Chicago lunches. This led one of my friends to wonder exactly what spaetzle is. Spaetzle, or Spätzle, is a type of egg noodle often found in German cuisine.

I ♥ spaetzle.

I ♥ German cuisine.

So, inspired by my friend’s question and in order to show you what spaetzle is, I decided I’d cook it for the first time. Though I’ve eaten in many times in German restaurants, I’ve never actually made it myself. I wasn’t even quite sure how it was made. Since I was pretty clueless about the spaetzle-making process, I decided to search for a recipe. I landed upon a Tyler Florence recipe, which appealed to me for its simplicity and for the fact that it didn’t call for any special spaetzle-making equipment. If you’ve got a colander or spoon with large holes, you’re ready to make spaetzle.

Large-holed colander sitting atop boiling water

I picked a colander which rested nicely on one of my saucepans. I filled the pan with water just high enough that it didn’t reach the bottom of the colander. This way, I was able to scoop a bit of the spaetzle batter into the colander and use a spatula to push it through into the boiling water. This worked beautifully. The batter dropped through the colander holes into the boiling water below and formed perfect little noodles. Just be sure to get right to work at pushing the batter through before it begins to cook on the bottom of the colander (which is exactly what happened to me while I paused to catch a picture). Tyler Florence’s recipe, found here, worked out perfectly. Excellent flavor and texture. Very easy to make! A definite winner in my book.

Spaetzle Cooking in Butter

Once I’d settled on making the spaetzle, it didn’t take me long to decide on making schnitzel; Jaegerschnitzel, to be exact. Schnitzel is simply meat, typically veal or pork, coated in breadcrumbs and fried. Jaeger translates to Hunter, which refers to the type of brown mushroom sauce which is served over the schnitzel.  Pork Jaegerschnitzel is, without question, one of my favorite German dishes and it makes a perfect accompaniment to the spaetzle.

As far as my Jaegerschnitzel recipe goes, I can’t speak to its German authenticity. Some references refer to Jaeger Sauce as a creamy mushroom sauce. I did not use any type of cream in my recipe. Feel free to add a bit of heavy cream, sour cream, or creme fraiche if it strikes your fancy. I was led by my Jaeger taste buds and authentic or not, my taste buds were quite pleased. Quite pleased indeed.

Jaegerschnitzel

Ingredients

  • 4 Boneless Pork Chops, about a pound total
  • 1/2 pound Bacon, chopped
  • 2 cups Mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, plus more if necessary
  • 1/2 cup Flour, for dredging
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup Bread Crumbs, plus more if necessary
  • 4 Tbsp Butter
  • 4 Tbsp Flour
  • 3 cups Beef Stock or Beef Broth
  • Salt and Pepper

To prepare the pork, cut each pork chop in half through the middle to create two thinner pieces out of each chop. You should end up with 8 thin-cut pork chops. Place the pork chops in a ziploc and pound, with a mallet or heavy flat-bottomed pan, to flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. Season each piece with a bit of salt. Then dredge the pork in the flour, dip in the lightly beaten eggs, and coat in the bread crumbs. Set the breaded chops aside.

In a large pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until it just begins to get crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Set the bacon aside.

Add the mushrooms to the bacon fat remaining in the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms and set aside.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the bacon fat remaining in the pan, so that you have a very thin, even layer of bacon fat/oil. Add the breaded pork cutlets and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, over medium heat, until lightly browned and cooked through. Cook in batches, adding more oil between each batch, if necessary. Set the cooked pork aside.

**If the pan has any burned bits on the bottom, clean the pan before proceeding or use a new pan for the following steps.

Add butter and flour to the pan over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Cook for a minute or two. Then, gradually begin whisking in the beef stock. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking frequently. The sauce will thicken. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the cooked pork cutlets, mushrooms, bacon, and any juices to the sauce. Gently move the pan to coat the pork in the sauce. Cook for a minute or two to reheat all components. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve with warm butter-sautéed spaetzle.

6 Comments

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Chicken with Morels in Chicago

Posted on August 20, 2010 by amydeline

Hello Everyone!

Just checking in from Chicago. We had a great first day yesterday. Flight was fast and trouble-free. Not only did our suitcase arrive on the plane with us, but it was all in one piece and third out on the baggage claim. No wait for a taxi which brought us promptly to our friends’ lovely home. After a great bacon, egg, and cheddar bagel, we headed out to catch a train for an adventure. We spent a relaxing afternoon wandering down the main drag in Andersonville and enjoying a few local Chicago-brewed beers. Did a little shopping, bought a fuzzy plant named Sampson, and then returned to our friends’ place, where our gracious hostess was cooking up a fantastic dinner; Ina Garten’s Chicken with Morels.

It started with morels, those adorable honeycomb shaped mushrooms, soaked in steaming hot water until tender.

Then, pieces of chicken breast were dredged in flour and lightly browned in a pan.

The chicken was removed, the shallots and mushrooms cooked until tender, and the wine added.

Add a little creme fraiche, cream, and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the chicken in a baking dish. Bake for a few minutes.

Voila! A delicious, elegant meal, served over hot egg noodles with a side of farm-fresh summer corn. Doesn’t get much better than this!

Chicken with Morels

We’ll be heading into downtown Chicago today, to see where the day will take us. And later tonight, we’re hitting The Publican for a feast on seafood, pork, and beer. I’m certain it will be a great day!

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Chicken Marsala with Garlic Sauteed Broccolini

Posted on August 18, 2010 by amydeline

I’ve been meaning to make this dish for a while. I rarely order chicken when we go out to eat. It’s not that I don’t like chicken. I enjoy it quite a bit, but there’s just always something else which sounds better to me. There’s always some thick cut of filet mignon smothered in bernaise sauce or duck confit with a cherry-balsamic reduction calling my name. But there is one chicken dish that has the power to distract me from thick cuts of red meat and duck in sweet fruity sauces. That dish is Chicken Marsala. I rarely make it though. It’s not that it’s labor intensive or complicated to prepare. It’s simply that Chicken Marsala requires Marsala wine, which requires me to make a trip to the liquor store, which requires me to escort two extremely active toddler boys into a fun house of glass bottle towers. I avoid that situation like the plague.

But, my hubby stopped by the liquor store to pick up wine for last night’s steak dinner feast and I had him grab a bottle of Marsala. So, it’s Chicken Marsala for dinner tonight!

Marsala sauce is another in a family of wine reduction sauces that bring pure joy to my heart, like my beloved Bordelaise and Madeira sauces. We’ll start with a bit of Marsala wine, then simmer it down until it reduces to a thick, concentrated wine base. To that, we’ll add chicken stock and continue simmering to concentrate the flavors. The flour and oil remaining in the pan from cooking the chicken will act as our roux to help thicken the sauce. Mushrooms and thinly sliced garlic complete the sauce.

Chicken Marsala pairs beautifully with angel hair pasta, garlic mashed potatoes, or sauteed veggies. Tonight, I’m blanching a bunch of crisp broccolini just until slightly tender, then sautéeing it in a bit of olive oil and garlic.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

  • 4 Thin-Cut Chicken Breasts
  • 3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Flour, for dredging the chicken
  • 3/4 cup Marsala Wine
  • 1 can (about 2 cups) Chicken Stock
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

In a large pan, heat about half of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and the mushrooms. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender and brown and the garlic is lightly toasted. Remove from the pan and set aside. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour to evenly coat both sides. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pan used for the mushrooms. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the marsala to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the marsala to a simmer, allowing the wine to reduce until about 1/4 cup remains. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until about 1 cup of liquid remains. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan. Cook for a few minutes to coat the chicken in sauce.

Garlic Sautéed Broccolini

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Broccolini
  • 2 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the broccolini, by placing it in the boiling water and cooking for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and gently pat dry. In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two. Add the blanched broccolini. Toss in the oil and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Little Man in Big Shoes, keeping busy while Mommy cooks.

5 Comments

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Steak Dinner. Yummy, yummy.

Posted on August 17, 2010 by amydeline

We’re enjoying a visit from my in-laws this week. Tonight I had the pleasure of preparing a tasty steak dinner for our dining enjoyment. I mean, we have to eat something. It might as well be steak!

We started with an appetizer of Warm Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Cherries, Mango, Mint, and Almonds. Simply dice a few cherries and some mango, chiffonade a few mint leaves, and mix. Spread goat cheese on slices of French baguette. Top with a bit of the cherry, mango, mint mixture. Garnish with a sliced almond or two. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 8-10 minutes.

Click here to see my photo guide on How to Dice a Mango. Make the cuts close together for a fine dice.

Click here to see my photo guide on How to Chiffonade Basil. Use the same procedure to chiffonade your mint leaves.

I cooked our dinner as we enjoyed the warm goat cheese hors d’oeuvres. There was broiled flank steak, seasoned with salt and pepper, then broiled for 15 minutes. After allowing it to rest for 5 minutes, I cut thin slices across the grain.

Over the flank steak, we enjoyed a Roasted Garlic Sauce. To make the sauce, melt 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan. Add 2 Tbsp flour and whisk together. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups of milk. Bring to a gentle boil and continue cooking for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with a teaspoon of mustard, some salt, pepper, and a touch of nutmeg. Whisk in roasted garlic paste from one small head of garlic, until smooth.

Click here to see my photo guide on How to Roast Garlic. Once it’s roasted, squeeze out the soft garlic and sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt. Use the side of a knife to press the roasted garlic into a smooth paste.

On the side, we enjoyed Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic. Cut baby red potatoes into fourths or eighths, depending on their size. Toss with a bit of olive oil, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and cook in a 350 degrees oven for about an hour, until they are tender, golden brown, and surprisingly sweet.

We also enjoyed  a side of Green Beans Almondine, my absolute favorite way to prepare green beans!

Click here to see my recipe for Green Beans Almondine.

Add a little Chianti and it’s a lovely meal!

2 Comments

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Coconut-Crusted Tilapia with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Posted on August 16, 2010 by amydeline

Congratulations! Your taste buds just won a trip to the tropics. And they won’t even need to deal with airport security or worry about finding a bathing suit. Not a bad deal, huh? Tonight’s dinner is light, fresh and packed with tropical fruit flavor. You’ll be swaying along to the calypso music in your mind.

Tell your taste buds to start packing! Maybe they’ll even let you come along!

Coconut-Crusted Tilapia with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Ingredients

  • 4 Tilapia Fillets, approx. 4 oz. each
  • 1 cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/8 cup Milk
  • Salt
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Assortment of tropical fruit, such as Pineapple, Kiwi, Mango,  and Papaya
  • 1/2 Lime
  • Cayenne Pepper

For the Salsa

Dice about a cup’s worth of tropical fruits. (I used pineapple, mango, and kiwi.) Squeeze the juice from half a lime over the fruit. Sprinkle with a dash of cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Refrigerate.

For the Coconut-Crusted Tilapia

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a bowl or small baking dish, beat together the egg and the milk. On a plate, combine the flour and coconut. Season the tilapia fillets with a bit of salt. Dip the fillets in the beaten egg mixture. Then, press the fillets in the flour/coconut mixture to coat both sides. Place on the baking sheet and lightly spray or drizzle with a bit of oil. Cook for 10-12 minutes until cooked through and the coconut begins to toast. Top the fish with the tropical fruit salsa. Serve with basmati or jasmine rice.

Serves 4

Coconut-Crusted Tilapia with Tropical Fruit Salsa

And did you notice the really adorable quilted hot pad under my plate? It’s a handmade gift from one of my readers! Thanks Mary Jo!

I especially love the flying pig!

8 Comments

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Shrimp, Chorizo, and Pineapple Quesadillas

Posted on August 14, 2010 by amydeline

When I retrieved my ice cream maker from its hiatus in the basement, I told myself that I wouldn’t post too many ice cream related recipes. I recognize that not everyone has an ice cream maker lying around and I’d rather post recipes that don’t require any special equipment. I’m not doing a very good job of limiting the ice cream recipes though. It’s summer and I’m really enjoying the novelty of my ice cream maker. I’ve been finding myself dreaming of ways to use it. Some of my ideas are inarguably fantastic; others not so much. Last weekend, after a few glasses of wine, I was ready to whip out the machine to make some sort of Swedish Fish ice cream. I got some strange looks from the crowd, so we abandoned that mission. But I recently had another idea that I just had to try and since there was no one around to talk me out of it, I did. To make up for the fact that I’m sharing my third ice cream recipe in the past two weeks, I’m going to throw in a super simple, delicious bonus recipe which makes a easy, tasty dinner and requires no special equipment.

Remember earlier in the week when I mentioned the candy-sweet local corn, which I added to my pesto pasta with salmon and tomatoes? I wasn’t joking when I said it was candy-sweet. It seriously tastes like it’s been watered in syrup and grown in a bed of brown-sugar soil. I fed some to the kids and told them it was candy. They never paused for a second to question it. I’ve been dreaming about that corn ever since, plotting other ways to take advantage of its awesomeness. I wanted to use it as a dessert. It’s really that sweet. Sweet corn frozen custard came to mind.

Truth be told, this recipe was not a complete success. I contemplated whether I should share it or not, but I figured that if you’re crazy about corn, this recipe might be right up your alley. I fed a spoonful to my husband without telling him what it was and his reaction was less than enthusiastic. Confused would be the most appropriate description of the look on his face as he tried to process what he was tasting. His sentiments were that you can’t just feed people a bowl full of corn ice cream; that it needs to go with something. I agree. So, I made a homemade caramel sauce and served it with a graham cracker…sort of a caramel corn sundae, I suppose.

This frozen custard has a definite sweet corn flavor. The only added sweetener comes from a few tablespoons of honey. I used buttermilk to make up part of the cream base, sort of a play on my sweet honey cornbread with buttermilk, but I think the buttermilk was a mistake. The final custard was not nearly as creamy as I’d hoped. It had more of a firm, icy texture. I’m no ice cream making expert, but I suspect the iciness was a result of the buttermilk…perhaps a freezing point issue? If I were to repeat the recipe, I think I’d use an all cream base. Fairly certain that would produce a creamier result. The recipe I’m sharing with you excludes the buttermilk.

Summer Corn Frozen Custard

Ingredients

  • 3 Cobs of Sweet Corn
  • 2 cups Light Cream
  • 3 Tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Egg Yolks, lightly beaten

Directions

Boil the corn for 8 minutes. Cool. Cut the kernels off of the cob. Save the cobs. Use a blender or food processor to blend the kernels with the cream, honey, and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture in a saucepan and add the corn cobs. You can break the cobs, if necessary, to fit in the pan. Heat the mixture, stirring often, until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing the mixture to remove all of the the corn-flavored cream. Add a small amount of the hot liquid to the egg yolks to temper the yolks. (Adding a small amount of the hot liquid allows the egg yolks to heat gradually and prevents them from scrambling.) Add the tempered egg yolk mixture to the hot cream. Return the mixture to a saucepan. Heat the mixture until it begins gently bubbling. Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and refrigerate until it is completely cooled. Then, pour the mixture into your frozen ice cream bowl and freeze according to your machine’s directions. Serve with caramel, if desired.

Now, on to that super easy, super delicious, no-special-equipment-required recipe. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a message wondering if I had any ideas for how to make use of some chorizo she had on hand. Yum. Chorizo. I gave her a few general ideas at the time. And then I couldn’t get chorizo off the brain. Chorizo is a spiced pork sausage that is typically available as chorizo picante (spicy) or chorizo dulce (mild). Spanish chorizo is cured and can be eaten as is. My supermarket carries cured chorizo near the deli and cheese section. Chorizo is also available as a fresh sausage which you would probably find in the meat section of your supermarket. Fresh sausage needs to be cooked prior to eating. I love the combination of chorizo with seafood, especially shrimp. It occurred to me that both shrimp and chorizo would pair well with pineapple. So, I decided to put together some super fast Shrimp, Chorizo, and Pineapple Quesadillas. I’ll definitely be making these again.

Shrimp, Chorizo, and Pineapple Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Spanish Chorizo, chopped
  • 1 cup cooked salad-size Shrimp
  • 1/2 cup Pineapple, finely chopped
  • 2 cups Mexican Blend Cheese
  • 8 Flour Tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the chorizo in a pan over medium heat until it begins to release its oil. Add the shrimp and pineapple. Stir to combine. When the shrimp and pineapple are warm, remove from heat. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup cheese onto each of four tortillas. Evenly distribute the chorizo, shrimp, pineapple mixture over the four tortillas. Top with another 1/4 cup cheese on each. Cover with the remaining four tortillas. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the insides are hot and melty and the tortillas feel slightly crisp. Press down on the quesadillas about halfway through to help them melt together. Allow the quesadillas to cool for a minute or two before cutting.

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Salmon, Corn, and Tomato Pasta in Pesto

Posted on August 10, 2010 by amydeline

I have leftover basil pesto in my fridge from Friday night’s Wine and Cheese soirée. It would be a crime to let it go to waste. So, I planned a dinner around it. A few salmon fillets that have been chillin’ in my freezer and some candy-sweet summer corn sealed the deal. A handful of ripe baby tomatoes begged to join and I couldn’t resist. Voilà. Dinner.

Salmon, Corn, and Tomato Pasta in Pesto

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Salmon Fillets
  • 3 ears Corn
  • 2 cups Baby Roma Tomatoes (or other small, sweet tomatoes), cut into halves or quarters
  • 1/2 cup Basil Pesto, recipe here
  • 1 box Rotini (or other pasta)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season salmon with a bit of salt and pepper. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until fully cooked. When cool enough to handle, cut into small pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook corn for 8 minutes. Cool in cold water. Cut the kernels from the cob. Cook the pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain. Toss the warm pasta with pesto, corn, salmon, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves about 6

Simple. Fresh. Delicious.

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Pizza Dragon and Chairs of Stock

Posted on August 7, 2010 by amydeline

Childhood can be a confusing time. So many new experiences to take in, so much to learn about the world, the potential for confusion lurking around every corner. As a child, I remember the day our father told my sisters and I about the shares of stock which had been purchased for us. Our youthful minds heard chairs of stock. We continued the discussion with our father, he talking of the shares, we talking about chairs. Imagine our confusion when he tried to explain that our chairs were going to help us to pay for college. How in the world, we asked. Well, we could sell our shares, he explained. People will want to buy our chairs? Yes, he explained, people buy and sell shares all of the time. Hmm… We continued trying to process this whole chair thing. So, where do they keep all of our chairs? My father paused for a moment. We continued, Is there like a room somewhere filled up with our chairs? And, that’s when he realized we weren’t talking about the same thing.

Or take, for example, our first experience at Chuck E. Cheese. My family sat down and ordered some pizza and sodas. On the wall was a giant movie screen, the size of the wall. On it, the movie Pete’s Dragon was playing. Our parents told us the name of the movie. Between bites of our pizza, we heard Pizza Dragon. Eat pizza, watch Pizza Dragon. Made sense at the time. Took us a few years before we realized the movie was not actually Pizza Dragon.

Speaking of pizza, we’re having my signature pizza tonight. My brother in law is visiting and his top food request for the weekend was this very pizza. I’ve taken a Steak Bordelaise dinner; steak in a rich wine sauce with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and gorgonzola cheese; and I’ve turned it into a pizza. It’s the steak dinner you can eat with your hands. I told you I really enjoy handheld meals. You can use either, neither, or both mushrooms and onions on the pizza, depending on your preference. The best part is that all components of the pizza can be prepared ahead of time! This is a very hardy pizza, so it works well with a side of fresh salad.

P.S. There’s skirt steak on this pizza. Have I mentioned how much I love skirt steak??


Steak Bordelaise Pizza

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • 1 cup Dry Red Wine
  • 1 Shallot, finely diced
  • 1 sprig Thyme
  • 2 cups Beef Stock
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp Water
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Toppings

  • 1 Onion, chopped (optional)
  • 2 cups Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Skirt Steak (about 1/2 pound)
  • 1/2 cup Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 Thick Pizza Crust, homemade or store bought (12 inch diameter)

Directions

For the sauce, combine red wine, shallot, and thyme in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until the sauce reduces by 3/4. There should be about 1/4 cup remaining. Add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces by half. There should be about a cup remaining. Strain the sauce to remove the shallots and thyme. Return the sauce to the saucepan. In a small dish, combine the cornstarch with the water. Add a spoonful or two of the hot sauce. Stir to combine, then add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce. Simmer for another minute or two until the sauce thickens. Season with a little salt and pepper.

For the onions, heat 1 Tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to lightly brown. Turn down the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until the onions are soft and sweet.

For the mushrooms, heat 1 Tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes until the are soft and lightly browned.

For the steak, preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Place the steak on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut the steak into small bite-sized pieces.

To assemble the pizza, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread about 3/4 cup of the sauce over the pizza crust. Evenly distribute the steak over the sauce. Add the onions and/or mushrooms. Sprinkle with gorgonzola and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing.

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Posted in Beef, Cheese, Food, Main Course, Pizza, Recipes, Sauces and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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