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Category Archives: Sauces

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Green Beans Almondine

Posted on July 21, 2010 by amydeline

Chicken Cordon Bleu has been on my mind recently. I just love the crispy breaded chicken breast combined with salty prosciutto and cheese. Yum… Cheese. Lately, I’ve been acutely aware that if you don’t like cheese, you probably hate my blog. I’ve kind of got a little thing for cheese. I sure hope you like cheese too.

Chicken Cordon Bleu can be made a number of different ways. The most common procedure involves stuffing or rolling a chicken breast with ham or prosciutto and some type of swiss cheese, then breading and cooking. That approach will work, but I’ve had issues with the cheese oozing out during cooking. I hate to lose even a bit of cheese. So, I’ve come up with a different way of making chicken cordon bleu. I roll prosciutto in chicken breast, bread it, brown it in olive oil until golden brown, and finish the cooking in the oven. While the chicken is baking, I make a basic white sauce, or bechamel sauce, and then melt in some tasty Gruyere swiss cheese. No cheese is lost in the cooking and you get a nice creamy sauce to drizzle over the chicken. And who doesn’t like having a sauce to dip in??

On the side, we’re having green beans prepared my favorite way; sauteed in a bit of olive oil with sliced almonds and a sprinkle of salt. To make things just a smidgen easier, I buy the cleaned and cut fresh green beans, which can be microwaved right in the bag. I typically cook them for less than the recommend time, so they do not become mushy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Breasts
  • 4-6 slices Prosciutto or Ham
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  • 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Gruyere Sauce:

  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Flour
  • 1 cup Milk
  • Dash of Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere (or other swiss cheese), shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pound the chicken breast between plastic wrap until about 1/4 inch thick.

Lay slices of prosciutto or ham on top of the flattened chicken breast. Roll the chicken and tuck in the ends. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken roll in flour. Dip into the lightly beaten eggs. Then, roll in the bread crumbs until well-coated. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Place the chicken rolls in the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side, until lightly browned.

Place the browned chicken into a baking dish. Place the baking dish into the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a couple minutes while stirring. It should have a paste-like consistency. This is your roux (roo) which will thicken your white sauce. Scrape the roux from the pan and set aside. Add milk to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Using a whisk, incorporate the roux into the milk until smooth. Simmer for a few minutes until the milk begins to thicken. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Turn down the heat and add the shredded Gruyere cheese. Stir until melted and smooth.

When the chicken has finished cooking, spoon some sauce over each chicken roll and serve.

Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients

  • 1 package Cleaned and Cut, Fresh Green Beans, steamed
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
  • 1/4 tsp Salt

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until almonds just begin to toast. Add the steamed green beans. Use tongs to toss the beans in the oil and almonds.

Cook for a minute or two. Taste and adjsut seasonings if desired.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Green Beans Almondine

If you have any leftover chicken and sauce, it makes an amazing sandwich! Spread the leftover sauce on a ciabatta roll. Slice the chicken. Place the slices onto the roll. Sprinkle a little extra swiss cheese on top, if desired. Wrap it in foil and bake in the oven until heat through. Excellent!

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Pan-seared Scallops with Pina Colada Salsa and Coconut Rice

Posted on July 6, 2010 by amydeline

Many moons ago, my husband and I found ourselves in Italy, in the middle of a heat wave. The beautiful city of Rome is overflowing with fountains; cool, refreshing, swim-worthy fountains. Unfortunately, it’s also full of fountain police, whistles constantly in mouth, ready to blow at the first hint of a toe touching the water. When in Rome…don’t go in the fountains! Torture on such a hot day. But, sweet relief came in the form of little kiosks, selling big icy chunks of fresh, chilled coconut and iced bottles of water. I can still envision the towers of fresh coconut pieces, cool water running down over the artfully arranged displays. No coconut fountain police in sight. Sweet, sweet coconut relief.

So, whenever the weather gets hot, I think about coconut. It’s definitely hot out there today! I think a little coconut is in order.

Never hand your baby a coconut. He will assume that it's a hairy ball and will throw it at your knee. Trust me.

Recently, my sister and brother-in-law posted pictures of a dinner they enjoyed at a fine restaurant on Skaneateles Lake. My sister had a juicy grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes, beets, carrots, and asparagus. The picture made me hungry. My brother-in-law’s selection didn’t have quite the same effect. The dish he ordered featured seared scallops alongside a bed of sautéed spinach and a strawberry pastry. Everything on the plate was drizzled in a bright pink sauce which looked like it was made of strawberry yogurt. I stared at the picture trying to make the dish work in my head. My brother-in-law said it was delicious and that the tart strawberries in the salty pastry complemented the sweetness of the scallops. Sounds sensible enough, but I’m still having a hard time with the dish. I love the combination of fruit and seafood, especially during the hot summer months. Strawberries with scallops makes sense to me. And, I like strawberries in spinach salad, so I guess that pairing makes sense too. I think my issue with the dish lies more with the creamy, sweet-looking sauce and the dessert-like appearance of the pastry sitting next to the scallops. But, what do I know??

In any case, I must still have scallops and fruit on my mind, because as I was trying to come up with an interesting way to use the coconut I was craving, scallops dominated my thoughts. I tossed around the idea of somehow cooking scallops in the fresh coconut water, but I didn’t imagine a very nice texture resulting from that preparation. So I decided to pan-sear the scallops and combine the coconut with a bit of pineapple, orange, and lime for a pina colada inspired salsa. Not wanting to let any of the yummy coconut go to waste, I reserved the sweet coconut water to use in cooking the rice. The result was a light, fresh dinner on a hot summer day.

Tending to the fresh pineapple and coconut take a little time, but it’s worth it. Though my vote definitely goes towards using the fresh fruits, you could easily substitute canned pineapple, mandarin oranges, and unsweetened shredded coconut for the salsa and canned coconut milk for the rice for a really quick, delicious summer meal.

Pan-seared Scallops with Pina Colada Salsa over Coconut Rice

Ingredients

For the Scallops:

  • 1 pound Scallops
  • 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Salsa:

*To supreme an orange, cut off the top and the bottom. Place it on a hard surface and cut off the skin and pith. Then, use a paring knife or other sharp knife to cut out each orange segment between the membranes.

Orange Supremes

Directions

To prepare the salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix to combine. Taste. Add salt and pepper, if  desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To cook the scallops, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry and season with a little salt. Place the scallops in the pan. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, without disturbing. Once they’ve formed a golden-brown crust, turn the scallops over. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until fully cooked and translucent.

Prepare the rice according the package directions, substituting fresh coconut water for part of the water. Throw in a couple small chunks of coconut for added flavor.

Serve the scallops on a bed of the coconut rice and pina colada salsa.

Serves 4

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Thanksgiving in June

Posted on June 29, 2010 by amydeline

If we’re going to celebrate Christmas in July, then we’d better have Thanksgiving in June. But, don’t worry. I have no intention ofspending all day in a hot kitchen on a smoldering summer day. Tonight’s meal will have all of the flavor and satisfaction of a Thanksgiving feast, but we’re going to keep the ingredient list short, the preparation simple, and serve it up open-faced sandwich style.

Let’s talk turkey… Thanksgiving day is the only day of the year when I’ll even think about dealing with a whole turkey.  And even on Thanksgiving, I’ve been cooking the breasts separate from the drumsticks for the past few years. (I’ll explain in November.) For turkey on any other day of the year, I use boneless, skinless turkey breasts or turkey tenderloins. They’re lighter, cook faster, and will work perfectly for our open-faced Thanksgiving sandwiches.

Let’s gab gravy? As far as the gravy goes, I’d normally incorporate the turkey drippings for a flavorful sauce. But, the tenderloins I’m using today are so lean that they’re not going to generate much in terms of drippings.  So, to capture some of the turkey essence in the gravy, I’m searing the turkey, then baking it in the oven in a bit of chicken stock. Then we’ll combine the turkey-infused chicken stock from the pan with a bit more chicken stock and thicken it with a simple flour-butter roux to make a full-flavored pan gravy.

Let’s speak stuffing… (Sorry, I couldn’t help it.) For the stuffing, we’re using a slightly simplified incarnation of my traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. I’ve been cooking some version of this sausage and apple stuffing for the past few years. I love it.  The original idea comes from a recipe I found on the Food Network website (click here for the original recipe), but I’ve cut down on the spices for simplicity and because I think there’s enough flavor in the sausage, apples, and leeks. I can’t get enough of this stuffing. It’s quick, incredibly flavorful, and delicious! The key is to not add too much chicken stock. You want the stuffing to be moist, but not mushy. Add the stock slowly and stop as soon as it just starts to get sticky. You should end up with a stuffing that is moist, but bakes with a firm crust.

For the mashed potatoes, I’m using leftover Roasted Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes from last night’s dinner. I’ll include the recipe below. Regular mashed potatoes, sans roasted garlic, would work wonderfully too!

What Thanksgiving meal is complete without cranberry sauce?? You probably won’t find cranberries in the produce section during this time of year, but most supermarkets will carry them in the frozen foods section.  You can easily makes your own cranberry sauce with a bag of fresh, frozen cranberries, a bunch of sugar, and a little water or orange juice.  But, tonight I’m using canned, jellied cranberry sauce.  I can’t help it.  I love the stuff…especially the smooth end piece that has the mark of the can on it.  As a child, I remember calling dibs on that end slice and panicking that someone would get to it before I could. Ok, so the jellied stuff is completely loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Don’t eat it everyday. But it’s tasty and spreads beautifully, making it perfect for this sandwich!

Keep your grubby paws off of my slice!

All of the sandwich components can be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated and then reheated in the microwave when you’re ready to eat!

Let’s get cooking…

Thanksgiving in June

Open-Faced Turkey Sandwiches

Open-Faced Thanksgiving Sandwich

Roast Turkey Tenderloins

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Turkey Tenderloins (approximately 4 tenderloins)*
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 3/4 cup Chicken Stock

*You can substitute 2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil over medium heat, in a pan large enough to fit the tenderloins. Lightly season the tenderloins with a bit of salt and pepper and place them in the pan. Cook for a minute or so on each side to sear the meat. Pour chicken stock into the pan. Most of the turkey should not be covered by the stock. Place the pan in the oven* and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the turkey is completely cooked. (An instant-read meat thermometer should read 165 degrees.) Remove the tenderloins. Keep the liquid in the pan for the gravy. When the tenderloins are cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices.

*If you do not have an oven-proof pan, you will need to transfer the seared tenderloins into a baking dish before adding the stock and baking.

Turkey Pan Gravy

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Flour
  • Liquid Remaining from the turkey pan (should be about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
  • Salt and Pepper, if desired

Directions

Make a roux by melting 2 Tbsp butter in a small pan. Add the flour. Whisk to combine. Continue whisking over medium heat for a few minutes to cook off the raw-flour taste. You should have a pale off-white pasty mixture. Set the roux aside. (See my guide for making a roux, here.)

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the liquid in the turkey pan. (You should have about a cup of liquid altogether.) Bring to a simmer. Add about half of the roux and whisk vigorously until smooth. Continue simmering for a few minutes over medium heat until the gravy begins to thicken. For a thicker gravy, add more roux and simmer for a few more minutes. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a bit more stock. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired.

Roasted Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pound bag of Baby Red Potatoes
  • 4 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 head Roasted Garlic*
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup Milk
  • Salt and Pepper

*To see my guide for roasting garlic, click here.

Directions

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters, depending on size. Place in a pot and fill with cool water, just enough to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until a fork inserts easily. Drain. Return potatoes to the pot. Add butter and roasted garlic. Smash the potatoes, butter, and garlic to your desired smoothness. Mix in the milk. Start by adding 1/4 cup. Add more if desired, for creamier potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Sausage, Apple, and Leek Stuffing

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound Bulk Breakfast Sausage
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 2 Apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup Leeks, finely sliced (about 1 large leeks)*
  • 4 cups herb-seasoned bread cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
  • Salt and Pepper, if desired

*To see my photo guide on leeks, click here.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a pan, cook the sausage until fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes. As it cooks, use a spoon to break up the sausage into small pieces. Remove the cooked sausage and place it in a large bowl. In the same pan (no need to clean it out) melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the apples and leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add them to the bowl with the sausage. Add bread cubes. Stir to combine. Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring between additions to give the bread a chance to absorb the stock. Continue adding stock until the stuffing is moistened but not mushy. Most of the bread cubes should still appear as cubes. (1 1/2 cups of stock should be about right, but add a little less or a little more, as needed to get the right consistency.) Place the stuffing in a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until heated through and the top feels firm.

To compose the sandwich:

You’ll need 4 large slices of bread. You can use any type of bread, but something thick and doughy, like rye or sourdough will work best. I used a big slice of Pain de Campagne. Spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce on each slice of bread.  Top with a scoop of mashed potatoes and a scoop of stuffing. Cover with slices of turkey. Pour a bit of gravy over the turkey. Serve hot, with creamed spinach or your favorite Thanksgiving vegetable.

Serves 4

Happy Thanksgiving in June! I’m thankful for all of you!

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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Posted on June 22, 2010 by amydeline

Isn’t it funny how certain foods can remind you so vividly of particular people and draw you back in time to memories so vibrant you can practically taste the food? It’s the way that rice pilaf or ambrosia salad makes me think of my Aunt Theresa and playing outside with my cousins. Or, how Corned Beef Hash reminds me of Sunday mornings with my Dad. Well, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, or spaghetti with garlic and oil, makes me think of my Grammy. I’m pretty sure that I never pronounced it correctly, but she always knew what I was asking for and was more than happy to make it for me. Little did I know what a cinch it is to put this delicious dish together. I would have asked for it more often!

I was reminded of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio last weekend. My husband and I went out for a rare dinner date, while my mother-in-law babysat the kiddies. On the menu, there was a linguine dish with olive oil, garlic, anchovies, and broccoli. I instantly thought of my Grammy and was very tempted to order it. I ended up choosing something different, but made a mental note to make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio soon. Since I have an open tin of anchovies sitting in the fridge, begging to be used, tonight seemed like the perfect time to whip up my own version of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Anchovies and Broccoli.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Anchovies and Broccoli

Ingredients

  • 1 package of Spaghetti
  • 3/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 6 large cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
  • 5-6 Anchovy Fillets, rinsed and chopped
  • 2 cups Broccoli, chopped and steamed
  • 1/4  tsp Salt, plus more if desired*
  • 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper, plus more if desired
  • Parmesan Cheese

*If you choose to omit the anchovies, you will probably want to add additional salt, since the sauce will lack the saltiness the anchovies lend to it.

Directions

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. When the spaghetti is almost finished cooking, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a pan. Add the anchovies, sliced garlic and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is lightly browned and softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining oil and salt. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low, just enough to keep it warm, and add the steamed broccoli. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. When the spaghetti is finished cooking, drain the pasta. Toss it with the sauce and broccoli. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese before serving.

The garlicky oil in this dish is just screaming to be soaked up by a piece of warm, crusty bread. So, don’t forget to buy a loaf of fresh bakery bread or make your own. I made a loaf of French Bread, similar to the one I made several weeks ago to accompany the Ragout of Sausage, Cannellini Beans, and Rapini. At the time of that post, I created a link to the French Bread recipe I followed, since I’d made it without any adaptations. Well, I realized the error of my ways when I went back to click on the link, only to receive a message alerting me that the page could not be found. I was able to quickly locate the recipe on the website, but the experience taught me a lesson about not relying on links to document recipes. Today, I’m going to share my own French Bread recipe, which is a modified version of the other recipe. I added more flour, which made the dough significantly easier to work with.  I also adjusted the procedure for rolling and baking the dough and added an egg wash to give the bread a little sheen.

Crusty French Bread

Ingredients

  • 5 cups Flour
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Dry Active Yeast
  • 2 Cups Warm Water
  • Oil, for bowl
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

Combine flour and salt. In a large bowl, combine yeast and warm water.  Stir in half of the flour/salt mixture, until well blended. Cover with a towel and allow it to rest at room temperature for 3 hours. It will triple in size. After 3 hours, add the remaining flour/salt mixture and combine with your hands.  Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. Clean, dry, and lightly oil the bowl. Return the kneaded dough to the oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rest at room temperature for another hour. The dough will rise again. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Split the dough in two.  Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle.  Then, starting with the long side, roll the dough into a loaf. Brush the seam with a little water to seal it closed. Place the loaves on a baking sheet, seam side down. Allow the loaves to rest on the baking sheet, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the baking sheet with the loaves in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the loaves and brush with a lightly beaten egg white. Return the loaves to the oven and bake for another 10 -15 minutes.

Adapted from a French Bread recipe found at www.famousfrenchdesserts.com

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Chilled Avocado Soup and Crab Cake with Chipotle Remoulade

Posted on June 21, 2010 by amydeline

Tonight’s meal was initially intended to be two separate meals.

Meal #1: Chilled Avocado Soup
Meal #2: Crab Cake Sandwiches with Chipotle Remoulade

Then, it occurred to me how marvelously the two would go together, like peas and carrots. You see, avocados and crab love, love, love each other! If it were socially acceptable for a fruit to marry a crustacean, the two would run away together and make millions of adorable baby crabocados. Until that day, we’ll just have to settle for joining them in perfect culinary union. With that in mind, tonight we’re making Chilled Avocado Soup decked with a Crabcake and dressed with Chipotle Remoulade.

We’ve really got three separate recipes going on here. And, they’re kind of like those items in your wardrobe that you can mix and match with other outfits in all sorts of ways. Make these recipes together, as I’m doing tonight, or use them in other ways. The crab cakes are fantastic as a sandwich or on their own, served on a bed of slaw. They’re wonderful full-sized or make perfect bite-sized hors d’ oeuvres. Serve them alongside a filet mignon with bernaise sauce for a really special dinner. The remoulade, a seasoned mayonnaise-based sauce, is great on seafood, but would also be delicious with chicken or roast beef. It also makes a great sandwich spread. Even I, the despiser of mayonnaise, enjoy this remoulade. The chilled avocado soup can stand alone (with a little dollop of creme fraiche) or top it with grilled shrimp, lobster, or broiled sea bass. Your options are truly unlimited.

Chilled Avocado Soup

  • 2 Ripe Avocados, skin and seed removed
  • 3/4 cup Chicken Stock (plus more, if desired)*
  • 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche (or sour cream)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1/4 cup Parsley Leaves or Cilantro
  • 1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp Salt (plus more, if desired)
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, chopped fine (optional)*

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Add additional broth to make the soup thinner, if desired. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

*Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup.

* To add some spice without compromising the bright green color, add jalapeno pepper.  I did not have a jalapeno on hand when I make this soup today, but my guess is that 1/2 jalapeno should be about right.

Broiled Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

  • 1 pound Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, cooked*
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (or regular bread crumbs or cracker crumbs)
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Old Bay or Creole Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Mustard
  • 1 tsp Garlic, minced

*You can steam and pick your own crabs, if you want. But, I always buy steamed jumbo lump crab meat, that’s been hand-picked and packaged. It’s a time-saving and mess-saving option, which in my opinion, makes very little difference in the quality of the final product.

Preheat broiler. Combine all ingredients, except the crab meat, in a bowl. Mix until well blended. Gently fold the crab meat into the other ingredients, taking care not to break up the chunks too much. Use your hands to form four equal sized balls of the crab mixture. Place the balls on a baking sheet and gently flatten into thick patties. Place under the broiler and cook for about 10 minutes until completely heated through.

Chipotle Remoulade

  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 Chipotle Pepper (from can of chipotles in adobo)
  • 1 Tbsp Capers
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped Pickle
  • 1 Anchovy fillet*
  • 1 tsp Mustard

*Run your fingers along the anchovy, as you rinse it under running water to check for and remove any larger bones. If you choose to omit the anchovie, you may want to add a dash of salt to the sauce.

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To compose the dish:

Ladle some soup into a shallow bowl. (You don’t want the crabcake to drown in the soup, so don’t fill the bowl too deep.) Place the cooked crabcake in the center of the soup. Drizzle chipotle remoulade over the crab cake.

A little trick for drizzling the remoulade over your crab cake – Spoon some of the sauce into a small sandwich bag or ziploc. Use a pair of scissors to cut off a tiny bit of one corner.  Squeeze the sauce through the hole onto your crabcake.

Crab Cakes and Avocado. What The Gourmand Mom has joined together, let no one put asunder.

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Linguine with Littleneck Clams and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Posted on June 9, 2010 by amydeline

Tonight, I’m serving up a minor variation on my regular Linguine and Clam Sauce.  The basic ingredients are the same; garlic, onion, pepper, white wine and clams. But, today I’m using fresh clams (where I often use canned, chopped clams). I’m also incorporating a little anchovy for added flavor and garnishing with slow-roasted grape tomatoes. If anchovies are a deal-breaker for you, skip them. I’ve made this recipe tons of times without them, but they really do add a nice touch to the dish. They dissolve into the sauce and add a really nice savory flavor. If you decide to omit the anchovies, be sure to season your sauce with a bit of salt.

If you’ve never used fresh clams before, don’t let them intimidate you!  They are as easy to cook as it is to open the canned clams. And, they make a show-stopping presentation. Just follow a few simple rules to ensure safety:

  • Keep the clams refrigerated until ready to use.
  • Thoroughly wash clams in cool water.
  • Carefully examine each clam and discard any cracked or open clams.
  • Discard any clams that don’t open after steaming.
  • Personally, I prefer to purchase most seafood on the day I plan to use it, so it’s as fresh as possible.

And, if fresh clams aren’t available to you (or you’re just not keen on their tough exteriors), then go ahead and use canned clams. You can usually find them near the canned tuna, sardines, and such. They work wonderfully in this recipe!

Linguine with Clams and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 box of Linguine
  • Littleneck Clams (40-50)
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 4 Anchovy Fillets, chopped
  • 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
  • 1 small Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Green Pepper, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup White Wine
  • 3/4 cup Clam Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Salt (optional)
  • Slow-roasted Tomatoes (recipe follows)
  • Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Rinse clams in cold water.  Examine and discard any open or cracked clams. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook linguine until al dente. Heat olive oil in another large pot. Add anchovies and onion. Stir until anchovies dissolve and the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and green pepper. Cook for about a minute. Add white wine, clam juice, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Carefully, add the clean clams to the pot and cover. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until the clams have opened. Remove and discard any clams which do not open. Season with crushed red pepper and additional salt, if desired. Serve the clams and sauce over the cooked linguine.  Garnish with slow-roasted tomatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. (Serves 4)

For the Tomatoes:

Cut grape tomatoes in half, lengthwise. Toss in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet, cut side up. Cook in a 250 degrees oven for about 90 minutes until deep red and reduced in size. If you’re short on time, you can increase the heat and shorten the cooking time!

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The World’s Greatest Penne ala Vodka

Posted on June 7, 2010 by amydeline

This, dear friends, is your lucky day. I am about to share a recipe for the best Vodka Sauce you’ve ever tasted. Seriously…this stuff is a. maze. ing. This recipe comes from a lovely friend, Erin, who acquired it from her uncle, whose friend, Charlie, came up with it. Follow all that? The first time I had the pleasure of this sauce was during college, when Erin whipped it up to the great delight of everyone in our sorority house. We were all hooked. Our biggest problem after that, was figuring out who was old enough to buy the vodka, so we could make it again.

This is a rich sauce; not exactly what you would call diet-friendly. But, all things in moderation. It’s worth it! Just hold your breath while you pour in the quart of cream and drop in the stick of butter. It’s gonna be a long run for me tonight!

Mise En Place

A little note about Mise En Place – The French phrase, Mise en Place, pronounced MEEZ-on-plahs, roughly translates to “everything in its place”. In the culinary field, this refers to the practice of gathering, preparing, and organizing ingredients prior to beginning the cooking process. I’ve mentioned this all before, but I say it again because I truly believe that mise en place is the #1 thing you can do to make cooking a successful, enjoyable experience. Now, my mise en place isn’t always nicely arranged on a tray.  That just makes a pretty picture.  But, I do prepare my mise en place almost every time I cook. Sometimes I do it just prior to cooking.  Other times, I gather, measure, and prepare things whenever I have a moment over the course of the day. This way, when dinner time rolls around, I’m ready to cook! The practice of preparing your mise en place will save you many headaches and a lot of frustration. It will save you from burning the soup, while you’re searching for a spoon or from overcooking the green beans while you’re chopping the garlic. You’ll be just like those chefs on TV, skillfully whipping up delicious meals with ease.

But, enough about mise en place. Let’s get cooking!

Penne ala Vodka

World’s Greatest Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 shots vodka
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 pound prosciutto (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 can whole plum tomatoes
  • 2 small cans tomato paste
  • 1 qt heavy cream (or you can use a combination of light and heavy cream)
  • 1 small bunch of fresh basil, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

  • Chop onion and garlic and cook in olive oil until soft.
  • Add prosciutto and cook for a few minutes.
  • Form mixture into a circle with a hole in the middle, pour vodka in the center of the circle and allow to cook off (about 5 minutes). **Pour vodka into a shot glass or other wide-rimmed container before pouring into the pot.  Never pour alcohol directly from a bottle into a hot pan. It is flammable and there is a chance that flames could find there way into the bottle and cause it to explode.
  • Rinse plum tomatoes under water and rinse out all the seeds. (Seeds make the sauce bitter.)
  • Cut into quarters or eighths and add tomato pieces to mixture.
  • Add cream and tomato paste, stir until combined and hot.
  • Chop approximately 5 basil leaves and add to the sauce. (Save additional basil leaves for garnish.)
  • Add cheese and butter and simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. About 1-2 tsp of each should be good.

Serve over penne pasta. This dish pairs nicely with steamed asparagus or peas.

The sauce will keep for a few days in the refrigerator if you don’t put it on the pasta. (Pasta with the sauce already on it does not reheat well.)

Italian Bread with Roasted Garlic Butter

Remember that garlic we roasted last week?  (Click here for a reminder.) Combine 1 head of roasted garlic with 1 stick of softened butter. Cut a loaf of Italian bread in half lengthwise. Spread the roasted garlic butter on both halves. Put the halves back together.  Wrap the loaf in foil.  Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with the Penne ala Vodka.

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Salmon Burgers with Horseradish Sauce and Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter

Posted on May 22, 2010 by amydeline

I make my salmon burgers the same way I make my crab cakes… heavy on the seafood, light on the filler. I like big chunks of salmon, blended together with just enough egg, bread crumbs, and mayo to hold it together.  A bit of mustard and creole seasoning adds the perfect flavoring! Served on an kaiser roll with a spicy horseradish sauce, this is a delicious way to enjoy salmon! I use fresh salmon fillets in my recipe, but you can substitute canned salmon, if desired.

Corn on the cob, served with chipotle butter makes a perfect side dish for this meal.  Chipotles are smoked jalapeno peppers; spicy and delicious! You should be able to find canned chipotles in adobo sauce in the Mexican or Latin foods section of your grocery store.  Adobo is simply a seasoned tomato-based sauce.  You can either discard the adobo sauce, or use some of it in the butter. You’ll only need 1/8 cup of pureed chipotle peppers for the butter, but puree all the peppers.  You can store the unused puree in the freezer for future use. (I’ll share my recipe for Chipotle Steak Quesadillas with you soon!)

Chipotles in Adobo

Salmon Burgers with Horseradish Sauce

For the burgers:

  • 1 pound salmon fillets
  • 1 tsp prepared mustard
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 egg white, beaten
  • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp Creole Seasoning
  • 4 Kaiser Rolls

For the Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 2-3 Tbsp Horseradish Sauce

To prepare the salmon – Preheat your broiler. Place the salmon fillets under the broiler and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. When the salmon is cool enough to handle, flake the fish into large chunks.

To make to burgers – Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients, except the salmon, until well blended. Gently fold in the salmon. Form into four burgers. Spray a baking sheet with a little Pam or a small amount of olive oil. Place the burgers on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until heated through.

For the horseradish sauce – Combine sour cream with 2-3 Tbsp horseradish. (I use 3.)  Stir until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve burgers on kaiser rolls with lettuce, tomatoes, and horseradish sauce. Makes 4 burgers.

Salmon Burger with Horseradish Sauce

Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter

  • 4 ears of corn, husks removed
  • 1/8 cup pureed Chipotle Peppers
  • 1 Stick Butter

Remove chipotle peppers from adobo.  Wipe off excess adobo. Puree peppers in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over very low heat.  Add 1/8 cup pureed chipotle pepper and stir. Gently cook over very low heat for a minute or two. For the smoothest result, you can pour the melted chipotle butter through a fine sieve to remove seeds and any large chunks. (I skip this step!) Pour chipotle butter into a bowl and refrigerate, stirring every 15 minutes, until firm. Allow butter to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. To cook the corn, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the corn and boil for about 5-8 minutes. Spread chipotle butter on corn and enjoy!!

Chipotle Butter

Salmon Burger with Corn on the Cob and Chipotle Butter

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Posted in Burgers, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Sandwiches, Sauces, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Posted on May 13, 2010 by amydeline

Lamb Burgers. Yummy, yummy! Lamb Burgers. Yummy, yummy!

It’s Lamb Burger Night!  Everybody sing along!

Greek Lamb Burger with Tzatziki Sauce

About a year ago, my husband walked into the room, with a copy of my Food and Wine magazine in his hands and a goofy grin on his face. He was excitedly pointing at the picture on the cover; a picture of what he’d assumed was a gyro, in burger form. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be something completely different (Beef and Lamb Burgers with Cheddar and Caper Remoulade).  But, the seed had been planted. A gyro burger!  Yes, I could totally make a gyro burger!  We realize now, that the idea of a gyro burger isn’t exactly a novel one, but for us, in that moment, we had discovered a map to the holy grail.

Meat Thoughts (I sure never thought I’d say that!)  – I have seen other recipes for lamb burgers, which use a part lamb, part beef combination.  I use 100% lamb in this recipe. The choice is yours.  If you don’t care for the taste of lamb, go ahead and use a half lamb, half beef mixture.  Don’t like lamb at all or perhaps you follow a vegetarian diet?  Then, try this recipe with beef, turkey, or even a veggie burger. Your supermarket may carry ground lamb or lamb patties, which are likely made from ground lamb breast or flank.  They are a convenient choice, but an even better option would be to ask your butcher to grind a lamb shoulder for you. It’s a tasty cut of meat, perfect for burgers. Or, as a leaner alternative, ask for ground loin or leg of lamb.

Personally, I prefer to grind my own lamb. I am the proud owner of my very own food grinder attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer, which I acquired under the direst of food emergencies.  It happened one evening, during a visit from my brother-in-law. In the course of conversation, my husband mentioned the delicious lamb burgers he’s been enjoying. Almost instantly, the lure of the lamb burger took hold and a full on hunt for ground lamb was underway. Only, all of the local butcher shops had closed by that time. After visiting multiple supermarkets in a fruitless search for ground lamb, my husband and his brother returned home with a food grinder and a bag full of meat. I love it when my husband’s cravings result in a new piece of cookware for my kitchen! (Just have to figure out how to get that tandoor oven!) So, lately I grind most of my own lamb.  The benefit is that I have the ability to trim the meat to my liking, choose what cuts I grind, and I am assured the freshest product (sans raising lamb in my backyard, which I’d never have the heart to handle anyway).

Without further ado…

Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

  • Pita Pockets

For the Lamb Burgers:

  • 1 pound Ground Lamb
  • 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1/2 Tbsp Rosemary
  • 1/2 cup Feta Cheese (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Tzatziki Sauce:

  • 7 ounce container Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 large, seedless English Cucumber or 1 large cucumber, seeds removed
  • 2 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For Garnish:

  • Romaine Lettuce Leaves
  • Slice of Tomatoes
  • Slice of Red Onions

Directions

For the Tzatziki Sauce: Place a piece of cheesecloth in a bowl. Using a box grater, grate the cucumber into the cheesecloth. Use the cheesecloth to lift the grated cucumber out of the bowl.  Squeeze excess liquid out of the cucumber. Discard the cucumber liquid.  Combine grated cucumber with the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Place a piece of cheesecloth in a bowl.

Grate the cucumber into the cheesecloth.

Lift the grated cucumber in cheesecloth.

Squeeze the excess liquid from the grated cucumber.

Combine cucumber with other ingredients.

For the Burgers: Combine ground lamb with seasonings and cheese (optional). Mix just enough to evenly disperse seasonings. Gently form the meat into large, flat burgers big enough to fit the pita. To cook, grill or broil, flipping as necessary until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees, as measured with a meat thermometer inserted in the middle. **Ground meats, of any kind, are typically not the best choice for cooking rare or medium-rare.  Unlike roasts and other non-ground cuts of meat, where the surface bacteria is killed during cooking, the bacteria in ground meat has been dispersed throughout.  Unless you can be absolutely certain about the freshness and safe-handling of the lamb before and after grinding, it is safest to cook to a minimum temperature of 160 degrees.

To assemble the burgers: Carefully cut around the edge of the pita to split it into two pieces. Line the bottom with romaine lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Place the burger on top of the garnish and top with tzatziki sauce.

Serve with a side salad of mixed spring greens and a little feta in a lemony vinaigrette.

(Makes about 3 generous sized burgers.)

Lamb Burger! Yummy, yummy!

Are you singing yet???

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Posted in Burgers, Food, Lamb, Main Course, Recipes, Sauces and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Toasted Caprese Sandwich

Posted on May 11, 2010 by amydeline

What is it about the combination of fresh mozzarella with sweet, ripe tomatoes and fresh basil that is just so irresistible??  I have to admit, I’ve actually invited people over to my house, just to give myself a reason to serve fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and basil. Sprinkled with olive oil and balsamic, on a piece of toasted baguette…is there anything better??

Well, actually, I would argue that there is.  I’d like to introduce you to my Toasted Caprese Sandwich… slices of fresh mozzarella with slow-roasted tomatoes and fresh basil pesto on soft pain de campagne, toasted in the oven until warm and melty.

Fresh Mozzarella, Slow-roasted Tomatoes, and Basil Pesto on Pain de Campagne

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of pain de campagne (sourdough, ciabatta, or italian bread would work)
  • Fresh Mozzarella

For the tomatoes:

  • Tomatoes (Baby Roma, plum, or cherry)
  • Olive Oil
  • 1-2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
  • Salt and Pepper

For the pesto:

  • 1 big bunch of basil
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup parmesan (or parmesan cheese blend)
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 6 Tbps+ olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions:

For the tomatoes: Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Toss tomato halves in a few tablespoons of olive oil, minced garlic, and a little salt and pepper.  Place tomatoes on baking sheet, cut side up. Cook on middle oven rack for about 3 hours until the tomatoes are deep red and reduced in size. **If you’re short on time, you can roast the tomatoes for about 25 minutes in a 425 degree oven.  Have a little extra time?  Try 200 degrees for 6-8 hours. Slow roasting at low temperatures allows the flavors in the tomatoes to concentrate, giving you a really nice, caramelized flavor. It’s worth the wait!

Watch out for sneaky babies.

Slow-roasted tomatoes

For the Basil Pesto: Pull the basil leaves off of the stem.  Place in a food processor and pulse slightly, giving the leaves a course chop. Add all other ingredients, except the oil, and mix until well blended. Gradually incorporate the oil until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings. ** These measurements will give you a thick, speadable pesto. If desired, add more olive oil for a thinner sauce consistency, which would be delicious on pasta!

To compose the sandwich, spread pesto onto one slice of bread. Top with thin slices of fresh mozzarella.  Place roasted tomatoes on mozzarella, cut side down. (If your tomatoes are very moist, you may want to remove some of the seeds to prevent the sandwich from becoming soggy.) Top with another slice of bread.  Wrap tightly in foil and cook in a 375 degrees oven for about 20 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted and cheese is warm and melty.

Enjoy!!

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Posted in Cheese, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Sandwiches, Sauces, Vegetable and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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