Dinner Party

Last night I had a few of my good friends over for a small dinner party.  I usually host a party about 3-4 times a year.  As you know I love to cook but I especially enjoy cooking for family and friends.  It was a great night filled with good food and good friends and I’m looking forward to the next party….hmmm, what to make next time?!  Maybe one of my grandmother’s famous soups or chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce…let me stop day dreaming and move on to last night’s menu:

Wines
Blue Flame Pinot Noir
Redwood Creek Sauvignon Blanc
Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc

Appetizers
Warm Brie with Pesto & Sun Dried Tomatoes
Served with toasted and buttered mini baguette slices
 Prepared by Jena

 

Salad
Spring Mix with Freshly Chopped Organic Vegetables
Arugula, spring mix, carrots, red peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, lightly dressed with homemade Dijon vinaigrette

Dijon Vinaigrette
Approximately 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, smashed
• ½ Tsp Kosher Salt
• ¼ Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 6 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ Tsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in glass measuring cup.  Cover with saran wrap and microwave on high until garlic is golden, no more than 2 minutes.  Let cool.
2. Once the olive oil mixture has cooled, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and pepper in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil mixture to form a smooth dressing.

Entrée

Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

Light balls of spinach and ricotta dough nestled in a homemade sauce seasoned with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil.

I have eaten gnocchi countless times but this was my first attempt at making it from scratch.  Yes, the process was tedious but the final result was worth every minute.   They turned out light and airy and full of flavor.  Next time I may throw fresh chopped basil into the dough.  I don’t think you can ever have enough basil!  As for the sauce, it has now moved to the top of my homemade sauces list.  If I can help it I will never buy another jar of sauce again!

Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi with Quick Tomato Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell
 

Prep Time: 20 min       
Cook Time: 40 min       
Serves: 6 to 8
 

Ingredients:
 

Gnocchi:

• 2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese, wrapped in cheesecloth and hung overnight in refrigerator (I used part skim ricotta)
• 1 (9-ounce box) frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
• 4 eggs
• 2 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 to 3 grates fresh nutmeg (I did not have fresh on hand so I used already grated nutmeg from my spice rack) 
• Kosher salt (I did not add any extra salt since I thought it was salty enough from the ricotta and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.) 
• 1/4 to 1/2 C all-purpose flour, plus more for the outside of the gnocchi
• Semolina, for holding the gnocchi

Sauce: 

• 2 – 15 oz cans whole plum tomatoes (Use your kitchen scissors to chop up the tomatoes in the can) Anne’s recipe calls for blanching fresh tomatoes but buying good quality canned tomatoes is a great substitute.
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• Kosher salt
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 6 to 7 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
• Special equipment: disposable pastry bag

Directions:

Gnocchi:

1. Unwrap the ricotta cheese from the cheesecloth; the texture should be pretty dry and crumbly.  Put the cheese into a large bowl.
2. Finely chop the squeezed spinach and add it to the ricotta. Add the eggs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg. Mix until well combined. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Add in 1/4 cup of flour. If the mixture is still very wet, add in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. (I used the entire ½ cup)
3. Dust a sheet tray generously with flour. Coat another sheet tray generously with semolina flour. Fill a pastry bag with the ricotta/spinach mixture. Pipe 1 1/2-inch balls of the cheese mixture onto the all-purpose flour lined tray. Shake the tray around to coat the balls in flour. Roll each flour coated cheese piece around in your hand to form a ball. Do this gently so as to not squish the cheese balls. Arrange them on the semolina lined tray.

Sauce:

1. Coat a large sauté pan, over medium-high heat, with olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt.  Toss in the crushed red pepper and cook the onions until they are soft and aromatic, about 8 minutes. 
2. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. 
3. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt, to taste. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.  (The sauce can always sit longer if need be, it will only intensify the flavor.)
4. Toss in the basil just before serving.

To assemble:

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat until the water is at a simmer. Carefully add the gnocchi to the simmering water. Cook until the gnocchi float and have begun to swell, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. On individual serving plates, spoon some sauce on each plate and spread it out until it becomes a 4 to 5-inch circle.
3. Using a spider or long handled mesh strainer, carefully remove the gnocchi from the cooking water, blot on a tea towel and arrange 5 gnocchi on each circle of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.

Dessert

Chocolate Pecan Tartlets

Light & buttery crust filled with a sweet filling of pecans and chocolate chips

 

Chocolate Pecan Tartlets 

Recipe courtesy of Self.com

Serves: Makes 24 tartlets
 

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons butter, softened, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 4 ounces light cream cheese 
• 1 C all-purpose flour 
• 1 Tbsp confectioners' sugar 
• 1/4 Tsp salt 
• 3/4 C light-brown sugar
• 1/3 C mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 large egg 
• 1 Tsp vanilla extract (I prefer to use pure vanilla extract over artificial.  It is more expensive but the more intense flavor is worth every penny.)
• 2/3 C chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Mix softened butter and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Blend in flour, a bit at a time, confectioners' sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Form dough into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
2. Heat oven to 325°F. Divide dough into 24 balls; press into two 12-cup mini muffin tins, pushing dough up over edges. Refrigerate.
3. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, chocolate, egg, melted butter, vanilla and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl until combined.  Divide half the pecans among muffin cups; top with brown sugar mixture; sprinkle remaining pecans on top.
4. Bake 20 minutes or until dough is lightly golden around edges. Let sit 5 minutes. Run tip of knife around cup edges to loosen. Remove when cool enough to handle; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan pie has not always been one of my favorite pies.  I usually prefer an apple pie or pumpkin pie or even a Lemon Meringue Pie* over a pecan pie but there is something about these tarts that put them over the top.  Maybe it’s the buttery shell or the abundance of chocolate chips but these little bites are absolutely delicious!   Bonus…they filled my apartment with the sweet smell of butter and chocolate…better than my expensive Bath & Body Works sugar cookie candle.
 

*(I have to be honest and reveal a little secret.  I don’t really like Lemon Meringue Pie, at least not all of the components together.  I prefer to sneak into the fridge, particularly after Thanksgiving at my Dad’s, and steal bites of meringue off the top.  I never really get away with it but I still do it, regardless of the disappointed looks I receive from my father. ;))

A special thanks to Emily who helped wash the majority of  my dishes at the end of the night.  :)

More Chocolate Please

I absolutely love chocolate, especially dark chocolate.  I love salty foods but if I had to choose I would always pick something sweet over something salty.  As you can see from these pictures my mom started making me a chocolate cake for my birthday as early as age 1.  Nowadays I’m more of a vanilla cake with vanilla butter cream or red velvet with cream cheese frosting type but I still love my chocolate.

This past Tuesday I was in the baking mood (When am I not in the baking mood?!) and looking for something extra chocolaty to make.  Going through my collection of cookbooks I settled on a recipe from “Baking From My Home to Yours” by Dorie Greenspan.  The thing I liked about this recipe was the use of cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate so it was double the chocolate, plus it only called for brown sugar, no granulated sugar necessary, which resulted in a moister and slightly sweeter cookie.  One bit of advice for these cookies is I would recommend letting the batter cool down slightly for about 15 minutes so it has a chance to firm up.  This way when you’re scooping out the cookies you have uniform balls of dough.

Chocolate Oatmeal Drops
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan

Makes about 50 cookies (My cookies were larger so I only ended up with 3 dozen)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C. flour
• 1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 Tsp baking soda
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 1/2 C. packed brown sugar
• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used bittersweet chocolate chips)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 C. old-fashioned oats

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.
3. In a heat proof bowl over simmering water, melt the butter, water, brown sugar and chocolate chips, stirring occasionally until all is melted.  Be sure the heat is not too high or the mixture will start to separate.
4. Remove from heat, and add eggs one at a time, whisking quickly to prevent the eggs from becoming scrambled.  Stir in the flour then the oats until just incorporated.
5. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.  (I was able to fit 12 on a sheet.)  Bake 12 minutes, turning the cookie sheet around after 6 minutes, until the cookies are dark around the edges and just slightly soft in the middle.  Transfer to baking rack and cool to room temperature.  Let cookie sheets cool between batches before scooping more dough onto them.  Enjoy with a cup of coffee like me or a tall glass of cold milk.

Simplicity

I love trying out new recipes, whether it’s a new cupcake flavor or a savory dish like eggplant lasagna.  It doesn’t matter how simple or complex it is because I enjoy just being in the kitchen.  Please note, I have failed plenty a recipe but that doesn’t deter me from trying something new again.

There are days I’m just in the mood for something quick and simple.  No fuss, no muss!   A few days ago I was in just that mood so I decided to pull out a recipe from my collection of Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s favorite dishes.  Lynne is the host of my favorite NPR show (yes, I listen to NPR…thank you dad for getting me hooked) “The Splendid Table”.  Her hour long show takes you through new recipes, listeners calling in with their questions on the hottest foods and trends, useful tips in the kitchen, all the while making you want to drop everything and head into the kitchen if you’re not already in there.

The recipe I chose, Spaghettini with Garlic, Parsley & Olive Oil, is by another favorite of mine, Lidia Bastianich.  This is Lynne’s favorite go to dish when she just wants something simple but full of flavor.  This took no more than 20 minutes to prep and cook so dinner was on the table before I knew it.  Feel free to add any extra ingredients you may have on hand such as leftover roasted vegetables, beans, or even pancetta.  It will only add to the amazing flavor of this dish.

Spaghettini with Garlic, Parsley & Olive Oil
Adapted from Lidia Bastianich’s recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 1/3 pound spaghettini
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 8 to 10 branches Italian parsley, stems removed, leaves chopped (I like parsley so I added a lot and kept the pieces bigger than maybe some people would like.)
• I added a 1/2 C garbanzo beans and a few shakes of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, and stir in the spaghettini. Stir frequently and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm.
2. Meanwhile, put the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan and heat gently until the garlic begins to sizzle and release its fragrance; take care that it does not brown or burn. Add the parsley to the pan along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
3. When the pasta is cooked, use a skimmer to lift it out of the water and directly into the pan.  Toss the pasta and let it simmer briefly in the sauce to finish cooking and absorb the flavors; add more pasta water if needed to keep the pasta loose and saucy. Taste the pasta for salt, and add more if needed.

Sunday Morning Pancakes

Breakfast has always been and always will be my favorite meal of the day.  My weekday mornings are usually filled with simple meals, a bowl of cereal, oatmeal topped with apples and walnuts, or even a couple of eggs with toast.  But it’s the weekend where I like to spend a little extra time preparing breakfast.  This Sunday morning I decided to try out a new pancake recipe by one of my favorite cookbook authors, Dorie Greenspan, called Banana, Raisin, and Oatmeal Pancakes.

Growing up, we never really made batter from scratch.  It either came from a box of Bisquick or Maple Grove Farms but they were still delicious!  At my mom’s we typically had waffles but at my dad’s it was mostly pancakes, especially on Sunday mornings before heading off to church.  Being part of a big family I saw that everyone has their own way of topping and eating their pancakes.   My dad loves to douse his in butter and maple syrup (100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup) devouring them so quickly the pancakes don’t even have a chance to become soggy with all of that syrup.  My stepmom, Tracey, goes another route by spreading hers with jelly, preferably strawberry.  I like pure maple syrup as well but I like to put a little bit on as I go.  This way the pancakes never have a chance to get soggy.  Finally, if you’re like my nephew and you’re only 2 ½ years old and are still working on your silverware skills then dipping is the way to go.  His pancakes or waffles or French toast, whatever is available that morning, is cut into tiny pieces and served alongside a bowl of maple syrup (his can be the fake stuff, he’s not too picky) and he goes along dipping his breakfast into the sugary goodness.

I really like any kind of pancake but these were especially yummy.  It was like eating an oatmeal raisin cookie for breakfast!  Of course I wanted to make these a little healthier so I tweaked the recipe just slightly.  You could also play around with the ingredients; maybe toss in some nuts or chocolate chips…oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, yum!  I also decided to change up my usual maple syrup topping with a warm blueberry sauce I made from scratch.  Paired with my morning Hazelnut coffee, this breakfast is one I know I will be making again in the near future.

Banana, Raisin, and Oatmeal Pancakes
Makes about 12
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:
•    1 cup old-fashioned oats
•    1 cup all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
•    1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
•    1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•    3/4 cup plain yogurt (I used fat free Greek yogurt)
•    3/4 cup whole milk (I used vanilla almond milk)
•    2 large eggs
•    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•    2 ripe bananas, mashed
•    1 cup raisins
•    1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (I only used an 1/8 cup (1/4 stick))

Directions:

1. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk yogurt, milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl to blend. Whisk dry ingredients into yogurt mixture just until blended. Fold in mashed bananas, raisins, and 1/4 cup melted butter.
2. Spray nonstick griddle or skillet with Pam; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto griddle. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top and bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Keep pancakes warm in a 200 degree oven while you finish cooking all of the pancakes.

Note: Once my bananas start to go bad I'm not always ready to use them in a recipe so I throw them in a large Ziploc bag, with the peel, and store them in the freezer.  When I'm ready to use them I let them defrost on the counter for a few hours or if I need them immediately like I did this morning I defrosted them in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes.  They come out pretty mushy so you don't have to mash them like you typically would.

Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup water

 Directions:

1.  Combine blueberries and water in saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until some of the water has evaporated and left you with a slightly thick blueberry sauce, approximately 5-10 minutes.
3. Feel free to add sugar or spices but I felt the blueberries were sweet enough on their own.

End of Summer Recipe

Now that Summer is coming to a close it's a good time to start using up the last of the season's tomatoes.  One way I like to do that is using them to make a quick and easy salsa.  This recipe comes from my Dad and we've been making it together since I was about 10 years old.  I know most salsas are pretty similar but I have to say I think this is one of my favorites.  My dad and I like this recipe so much that often times we could be found eating it with a spoon, no chips necessary.

Another reason this recipe is so special to me is it was my first ever published recipe!  Granted, it was only in my school's community cookbook but at 12 years old I thought it was pretty cool.

I halved the original recipe and changed the measurements slightly.  Whenever possible I like to use local, organic produce and if that's not possible then I try to buy organic.  The tomatoes and peppers I used are from my local Farmer's Market.  I served this salsa along side Zucchini, Corn, Black-Bean, and Jack-Cheese Quesadillas, a recipe I found in one of my favorite magazines, Food & Wine.  I left the salsa recipe alone but I added a few things to the quesadillas to make them my own.  I found this was a great meal to watch during Sunday football.  Go Giants!

Kealy's Favorite Salsa
From the Howard Kitchen

Ingredients

• 5 fresh ripe tomatoes (I used large vine ripened tomatoes)
• 1 green pepper
• 1 can concentrated tomatoes
• 3 jalapeno peppers
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 anaheim peppers
• 1/4 C. fresh chopped cilantro
• 3 red chili peppers
• 2 serrano peppers
• Juice of 1/2 a lime along with the zest
• Add fresh chopped garlic and juice of 1/2 a lemon (Optional)

Directions:

1. Dice tomatoes, onion, and green pepper.  Mix together with the canned tomatoes in a large bowl.
2. Place all of the hot peppers in a food processor, finely chop, and add to bowl.
3. Blend in cilantro and lime.  Season with salt and pepper.

Note: This batch of salsa was very spicy so be careful with adding the peppers.  If you don't like spicy food I would recommend cutting back on the peppers by half. 

Zucchini, Corn, and Black-Bean Quesadillas
Adapted from this recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 small zucchini, grated and drained on paper towels (about 1 cup)
• 1 C. defrosted frozen corn, drained on paper towels
• 1/2 C.  mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 - 15oz can drained and rinsed canned black beans (I already had a can of chickpeas open and it was a great substitute)
• 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper 
• 2 tsp chili powder 
• 1 C. light Mexican blend cheese
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 avocado, sliced into strips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, corn, onion, jalapenos, beans, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss gently to distribute the seasonings and then stir in the cheese. 
2. Heat the oven to 200°. Set the tortillas on a work surface. Distribute the filling on 4 of the tortillas then top each with another tortilla.
3. In a large nonstick frying pan over moderate heat spray with Pam. Cook each quesadilla 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese is melted.  Remove from the pan and keep warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Repeat in batches with the remaining quesadillas. Cut the quesadillas in wedges and serve with avocado and salsa.

Fall Is In The Air

Welcome to my first blog entry.  Why do you ask have I all of a sudden chosen now to start “blogging”?  Well first of all summer is coming to a close and we’re entering what I see as the best time of year, Fall.  There is nothing like the feeling of the weather getting a little cooler, the leaves turning, and pulling out all of my sweaters and boots to bundle up in. So what better time to start writing then the time of year that makes me the happiest.

When I think of fall I think of apples.  Coming from upstate New York I grew up surrounded by apple orchards, predominately Macintosh.  I remember taking many field trips there for school, which involved tours of the orchard and factory, learning the steps of picking and packing their apples to sell as well as the process of making apple cider.  Since my birthday is in October I always loved bringing in freshly made donuts and cider to share with my class to celebrate.  There is nothing like warm cinnamon sugar donuts and a cool glass of apple cider.

I have many favorite apple recipes but one that stands out the most is my mom’s Apple Cake recipe.   I love it so much my mom shipped me one during the first few months of my freshman year of college.  It certainly made me feel like I was back at home.  Now I don’t usually like to play around with this recipe but I wanted to make it a little healthier so I cut back on the oil and substituted some of the AP flour for whole wheat flour.  If this doesn’t get you excited for fall I don’t know what will!  I had this for breakfast (Yes, cake for breakfast!) with a large cup of coffee but I can bet it would be great with a glass of apple cider and maybe even some fresh whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Apple Cake
From the kitchen of Carole Millea

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2  C. Canola Oil (I substituted 1/2 C. of the oil with applesauce)
• 2 C. Granulated Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Tsp Vanilla
• 3 C. AP Flour (I replaced 1 C. with whole wheat flour)
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 3 Tsp Cinnamon
• Dash of Salt
• 3 C. Peeled Chopped Apples (I used NC Stayman Winesap apples I purchased from my local Farmer's Market)
• 1 C. Chopped Walnuts

Directions:

1. Prepare your bundt pan or 2 loaf pans with butter or Pam spray.
2. Whisk together the oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.
3. Using a spoon, Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until just combined.  Add the apples and walnuts.  Be sure not to over mix.
4. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing.  Serve warm.