admin – David and Elaine's Recipes

Spicy Tomato and Squid Pasta

Servings: 2 (recipe says 4, but it probably isn’t enough for 1 lb pasta)
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/spicy-tomato-and-squid-pasta.html

I altered this recipe, and cooked the squid for 30 minutes *in the sauce*, so the flavor is preserved and it gets soft.

Note, there are variations on this at
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/calamari-fra-diavolo.html
and
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/linguine-with-spicy-calamari.html

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. anchovy paste or one filet
1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes with juice
Salt, to taste, plus 2 Tbs.
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. gemelli, fusilli or other spiral-shaped pasta
1 lb. cleaned squid, bodies cut into strips or rings

Directions:

In a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 Tbs. of the parsley, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to color but not brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in the anchovy paste or filet and tomatoes and sauté until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper. Add squid and simmer for 30 minutes.

Gwyneth’s Chicken Burgers, Thai Style

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Source: People Magazine, April 24, 2013

Ingredients:

1 1b. ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 shallots, very finely minced
1 tsp. very finely minced red pepper, or red chili if you like it hot
2 tsp. fish sauce
½ tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. canola, grapeseed or safflower oil

Directions:

1. Thoroughly mix the chicken with the garlic, cilantro, shallots, red chili, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 burgers, each about ¾-inch thick.

2. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Rub each burger on both sides with a bit of oil and grill for about 8 minutes on the first side and another 5 minutes on the second, or until nicely marked and firm to the touch.

Spiced Plum Cake with Toffee Glaze

Servings: 10
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/spiced-plum-cake-recipe-with-toffee-glaze/

This cake uses cardamom in both the batter and the streusel almond topping. I buy the cardamom in pods and remove the husks, then grind the seeds myself. The flavor is much better than buying pre-ground cardamom. If you wanted to use another spice, whatever favorites are in your spice drawer, you could certainly call into play. I do like the cardamom a lot, though, and urge you to try it.

Purple plums aren’t usually sold by variety in France, but tart ones work best, such as Santa Rosa plums. You could use other kinds of plums, such as Italian prune plums (quetsches), although I prefer to use the tartest ones I can find. If you wanted to experiment with other types of fruit, this cake probably lends itself to others.The toffee is drizzled over the top in a modest quantity. But if you are a toffee-lover, you can certainly double the amount and really go for it. Buttermilk is called lait ribot or lait fermentè in France and is available in some supermarkets and Arab markets. You can make a good substitute by using a scant 1/2 cup (125ml) of whole milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar added. Let stand for 10 minutes, then use the soured milk just like buttermilk.

Serving: The cake is best served at room temperature. It can be served without accompaniment, or with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Storage: The cake will keep for up to three days at room temperature. I would not recommend freezing it.

Ingredients:

Topping
5 medium plums (12 ounces, 340g)
1 cup ( 85g) sliced almonds blanched or unbalanced
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup (60g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons melted butter salted or unsalted

Cake
8 tablespoons (4 ounces, 115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (175g) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminium-free
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk (see headnote)

Toffee Glaze
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter a 9-inch (23cm) springform cake pan.
2. Halve, pit, and cut the plums into 8 slices.
3. In a small bowl, make the topping by mixing together the sliced almonds, 2 tablespoons flour, light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoons (each) cinnamon and cardamom, and melted butter, until everything is evenly mixed. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand in a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom, and salt.
6. Add to the eggs to the creamed butter one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition to make sure they’re mixed in. Add the vanilla extract. Stir in half of the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, then the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
7. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan. Strew the plums over the top in an even layer, then spread the almond topping over the plums. Bake until the center just feels set, about 55 minutes to one hour. (A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean of any cake batter.) If the top is browning too fast, drape a sheet of aluminum foil over the cake pan and finish baking. Let the cake cool completely then remove the sides of the springform pan.
8. To make the toffee glaze, mix the butter, dark brown sugar, cream, salt, and vanilla in a small saucepan Bring to a boil, stirring gently. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drizzle the toffee over the cake.

Colpa Degno (Flourless Triple-Chocolate Cookies)

Servings: Makes 2 dozen cookies
Preheat: 375
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Source: Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook

We named these chocolate-packed rounds colpa degno because the term roughly translates as “worth the guilt.” Created by Megan Fitzroy Phelan, currently an owner of Longoven Restaurant.

These cookies are small and addictive and so delightful that they are worth any remorse you might feel from eating a half dozen or so.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups (185 g) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 scant cup (40 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) coarse sea salt
Whites from 2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons (6 g) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (100 g) milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup (100 g) dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt with a fork in a medium bowl to combine. Whisk together the egg whites and the vanilla with the fork in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg whites; stir the mixture with the fork until it just begins to come together. Add the chocolates and stir until well combined. The dough will be extremely sticky and as dark as black licorice.

At the bakery, we use a #60 scoop (like a small ice cream scoop) to scoop and ball these, but an ordinary 1 tablespoon measuring spoon works well too. Pack the batter into the spoon by squashing and dragging the spoon against the inside of the bowl to make sure the rounds of dough are tight and compact—if the dough is too loosely packed, the cookies tend to really spread out and separate as they bake. Place the rounds of dough on the parchment-lined cookie sheet a good 3 inches apart and bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops are glossy and set. When the cookies are done, they will be quite gooey, but they will continue to cook as they cool. Once they’ve cooled off enough to eat, they should be soft and chewy—if they’re hard or crisp, they’ve baked too much. Cool the cookies on the paper, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve these cookies the day they are made.

Molly Yeh’s Dark Chocolate Marzipan Scone Loaf

Servings: 1 8X4 loaf Pan
Preheat: 400
Prep Time:
Source: Food 52

This charming loaf may look like a pound cake, and act like a pound cake—and travel well and make sweet gifts like a pound cake. But it’s quite a different little number, and thanks to a slew of hidden perks—it’s better.

Ingredients:

7 to 8 ounces (200 to 225 grams) marzipan, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Jam, for serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 400° F. Line an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing 1-inch wings to hang over the edges on the long sides.
In a large bowl, toss together the marzipan and powdered sugar to coat. Add the chocolate chips and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and pulse to combine. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the butter is in the size of peas. Add this to the bowl with the marzipan. (Note: If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the butter in quickly with your hands or a pastry blender.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk or cream, and the extracts and add to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and bake until deep golden brown on top and firm when you poke it with your finger, with no squishy give (indicating an undercooked middle). Begin checking for doneness at 40 minutes. If you want to be extra sure it’s done, an instant-read thermometer should read 205°F to 212°F (95°C to 100°C) in the middle.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using the parchment wings, remove to the rack to cool completely. Slice with a serrated knife and serve with jam.

Raised Waffles

Servings: 4-6
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 15 minutes + overnight
Source: Smittenkitchen.com

Awesome waffle recipe – custardy, salty, crispy, rich. Mix the batter the night before.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water (about 105 to 110 degrees, so not too hot)
1 packet (1/4 ounce, 7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 cups milk, warmed (again, not too hot
1 stick (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until lukewarm
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Oil or melted butter for waffle iron
Powdered sugar, syrup or berries for serving

Directions:

The night before: Pour warm water in the bottom of a large (larger than you think you’ll need, because the batter will rise a lot) bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and let it dissolve and foam ever-so-slightly for 15 minutes. Stir in milk, butter, salt, sugar and flour — I do a little bit of wet ingredients then a little bit of dry, back and forth, to avoid forming lumps. If lumps form, you can mostly whisk them out.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set out on counter (see Note up top for debate on this) overnight.

The next morning, whisk in eggs and baking soda until smooth. Heat waffle iron** (a thinner one is better than a Belgian-style one, as these will not rise enough to fill a tall one out) and coat lightly with butter or oil. Ladle in 1/2 to 3/4-cup batter per waffle batch. The batter will be very thin and will spread a lot in the pan, so err on the side of underfilled until you figure out the right amount. Repeat with remaining batter.

Blueberry Buckle with Lemon Syrup (substitute guinda plums for blueberries)

Servings: 9 to 12 – 9 inch square pan
Preheat: 350
Prep Time:
Source: David Lebovitz 8-27-15

Adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

Adding the lemon syrup is an intriguing idea that was part of the original recipe. It’s tangy but does take some of the spotlight off the berries. If you want to omit it, you might want to increase the amount of cinnamon or nutmeg slightly in the batter to give it a little more pizzazz.

Other fruits can be used, such as sliced or diced plums, nectarines or apricots. Avoid fruits that are extra-juicy, though, as they may interfere with the batter setting. Raspberries or blackberries can be used in place of the blueberries, or mixed with them. (Blackberries are rather seedy, so I’d definitely mix them with other berries.) If you want to swap out other fruits, use the same amount by weight or volume as the blueberries listed in the ingredients. You can use frozen berries if you’d like. Just don’t defrost them first, since they’d get too juicy. Add them frozen, right to the batter.

Ingredients:

Topping

4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/3 cup (45g) flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Batter

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
zest of 2 lemons (use the same lemons for the syrup, below)
1 1/2 cups+2 tablespoons (230g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
3 cups (1 1/2 pints, 475g) blueberries

Lemon Syrup

1/3 cup (65g) sugar
juice of 2 medium lemons (about 6 tablespoons, 90ml)

*** ES – only use half of the lemon syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter a 9-inch (23cm) square cake pan.

2. Make the topping by crumbling together the butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon with your hands or a pastry blender until the pieces of butter are broken up and are about the size of small peas. Set aside.

3. To make the batter, in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand in a bowl using a spatula or wooden spoon, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer a few moments after you add each egg to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon or nutmeg into a medium-sized bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture, then stir in the buttermilk.

5. Add the remaining flour mixture, mixing just enough so it’s barely incorporated (there will still be dry bits of unincorporated flour), then remove the mixer bowl from the machine and using a flexible spatula to gently fold in the blueberries in, just until they are incorporated. Do not overmix – you don’t want to smash the blueberries and stain the batter.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Strew the topping over the blueberry batter and bake until the buckle is lightly browned on top and feels just set in the center; it’ll spring back lightly when you touch the center. It’ll take about 55 minutes.

7. When the buckle is almost finished baking, make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking it until it thickens. It’s done when the bubbles get larger, and when removed from the heat (which you might want to do a couple of times while it’s cooking, to check), the consistency will be like warm maple syrup. It’ll take about 5 minutes.

8. Remove the buckle from the oven and pour the warm lemon syrup over it, letting it soak in. Serve the buckle when it’s cool enough to slice. It’s good warm or at room temperature. Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or white chocolate-fresh ginger ice cream make nice accompaniments, although none are really necessary.

Storage: The buckle can be kept for up to three days at room temperature, if well-wrapped. It can be frozen for up to two months. Not sure if I would pour the syrup over the buckle if I was planning on freezing it, though. You could defrost and rewarm it in a low oven, wrapped in foil, then add the syrup before you plan to serve it.

Cumin Roasted Carrots and Meyer Lemon

Servings: 6
Preheat: 400
Prep Time: 1-hour
Source: http://www.athoughtforfood.net/blog/roasted-carrots-with-cumin-and-meyer-lemon

Ingredients:

1 1/2 – 2 lbs of carrots (or approximately 10 medium-sized), peeled
1 Meyer lemon cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, seeds removed
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, toss the carrots with four tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add the sliced Meyer lemon and toss with the carrots.

3. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt over the carrots and lemon slices.

4. Roast for 20 minutes.

5. Rotate carrots and flip lemon slices, and season with another sprinkle of salt. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until carrots are golden brown.

6. Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them. Finish with Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and chopped parsley.

Rich Turkey Gravy

Servings: 8 Cups
Preheat: 0
Prep Time:
Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/rich-turkey-gravy-231006

This recipe makes a generous amount of gravy — we find you can never have enough.

Ingredients:

Roasting pan with pan juices from a roast turkey (about 14 lb)
Unsalted butter (less than 1 stick), melted, if turkey drippings yield less than 1/2 cup fa
About 9 cups hot brown turkey stock
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure (do not clean roasting pan), then skim off fat and reserve. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into a 2-quart measure, and reserve fat left in separator.) If there is less than 1/2 cup reserved fat, add melted butter.
Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to total 8 cups liquid (2 quarts). Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup of remaining stock and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 1 minute. Pour through fine-mesh sieve into glass measure with stock.
Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add hot stock with pan juices in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer gravy 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

CHOCOLATE PECAN TORTE

Servings: 10 to 12
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 1 hour?
Source: Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts by Alice Medrich

There are lots of toasted pecans in this all-in-one-bowl bittersweet chocolate torte. It’s good on its own, but I often pass a bowl of plain whipped cream; Mocha or Milk Chocolate Whipped Cream are also good here. For the best flavor (and convenience!), make the torte at least a day, if not two, ahead.

Ingredients:

1 cup (3.5 ounces) pecan halves
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (66% to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into chunks
3/4 cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
Generous 1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cold large eggs
Powdered sugar for dusting

Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream, optional

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of the springform pan.

Spread the pecans on the baking sheet and bake them for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they are fragrant and taste toasty. Scrape the nuts onto a plate and let cool
completely. Turn the oven temperature up to 375°F.
Pulse the pecans with the flour in the food processor until finely ground.

Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl, preferably stainless steel, set it in a wide skillet of barely simmering water (see Melting Chocolate My Way, page 97), and stir occasionally until nearly melted. Remove the bowl from the water bath and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth.

Add the butter, granulated sugar, and salt and beat with the electric mixer at medium speed until the butter is completely melted and the mixture thickens and lightens slightly in color. Beat in the eggs one by one, then beat at high speed (medium speed in a heavy-duty stand mixer) for a minute or two, or until the batter is fluffy and lightened in color. Stir in the pecan mixture.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted about 11/2 inches from the side of the pan comes out clean; the center will still be gooey.

Set the pan on a rack to cool. Slide a thin knife or a small metal spatula around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake and allow the thin crust on top to sink (slightly) as the cake cools. Let cool completely. Remove the pan sides and transfer the cake to a serving platter. The torte can be kept at room temperature, covered or under a cake dome, for at least 3 days, or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months; bring to room temperature before serving.

Sift a little powdered sugar over the top to highlight the crackled surface. Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

* VARIATIONS
Toasted walnuts or hazelnuts (with the skins rubbed off) make a nice changeup for the pecans. You can grate the zest of 1 orange into the batter, if you like; then stir it in. Top each slice with whipped cream (plain, mocha, or white chocolate – see pages 130-133) and grate a little cinnamon over the top of the cake and cream. In addition to the cinnamon, try a pinch of ground ancho or other chile.

Flourless Chocolate Pecan Torte

You can simply omit the flour without substituting anything for it, or you can increase the nuts by an ounce or so. The texture of the torte will be a bit nubbier, as the flour provides a little creaminess.