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Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Servings: —
Source: Sunset June 2003
This version of the classic tomato and mozzarella salad uses cherry tomatoes which are tossed with small balls of mozzarella, basil and olive oil.

Ingredients
4 cups (1 1/4 lb.) Sweet 100 or Sungold cherry tomatoes (or a mixture), rinsed and stemmed
8 ounces small balls fresh mozzarella cheese (often labeled bocconcini), drained
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed
About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt

Directions
Cut cherry tomatoes in half with a sharp knife. Cut bocconcini in half. Tear basil leaves into small pieces. In a bowl, gently mix cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt; add more oil and salt to taste.

Nutty Chocolate Shortbread Wedges

Servings: 16
Source: fine cooking #23
Yields twelve or sixteen wedges.

Adding an egg yolk to this shortbread gives it a softer, less sandy texture.

Ingredients
FOR THE SHORTBREAD:
1/4 lb (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temp; more for the pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 oz (1/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1/4 tsp table salt
1 lg egg yolk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 oz (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

FOR THE GLAZE:
3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (a generous 1/2 cup)
1 oz (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into two pieces
1/2 cup (2 oz.) coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted and cooled, or chopped pistachios

Directions
MAKE THE SHORTBREAD: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Scrape the bowl. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating on medium until just combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed, scraping the bowl as needed, until the dough begins to clump together, about 1 minute. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, scattering the pieces of dough evenly. Using your fingertips (lightly floured, if necessary), pat the dough onto the bottom (not up the sides) of the prepared pan to create an even layer. Bake until the top no longer looks wet and the dough just barely begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes.
SHORTLY BEFORE THE SHORTBREAD IS DONE, MAKE THE GLAZE: Melt the chocolate and butter on the stove or in a microwave. Stir until smooth. When the shortbread is done, transfer the pan to a rack. Pour the warm glaze over the shortbread and, using an offset spatula, spread the glaze evenly to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Scatter the nuts evenly over the glaze and gently press them in. Let cool completely until the glaze is set. Remove the shortbread from the tart pan and cut it into 12 or 16 wedges. Serve at room temperature.

Pasta E Fagioli

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: Gourmet October 1993
Double recipe for leftovers. Likely will need more broth/water, particularly after standing with added pasta

Ingredients
1/4 cup diced pancetta or 2 slices of bacon, chopped
1 sm onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sm rib of celery, chopped fine
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
16 oz can white beans, rinsed well and drained
16 oz can tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/3 cup tubetti or other sm tubular pasta
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
freshly grated Parmesan as an accompaniment

Directions
In a heavy saucepan cook the pancetta over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, and in the remaining fat cook the onion and the garlic, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the celery, the carrot, and the broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes.
In a bowl mash 1/3 cup of the beans, stir them into the pancetta mixture with the remaining whole beans and the tomatoes, and simmer the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the tubetti, simmer the soup, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, and if desired thin the soup with water. Let the soup stand off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes, stir in the parsley, and serve the soup in bowls sprinkled with the Parmesan.

Mushroom Lasagna

Servings: —
Source: Martha Rose Shulman
recipeNotes: Advance preparation: The mushrooms can be cooked up to 4 days before the lasagna is assembled and baked. The béchamel can be made a day ahead. Whisk well and reheat gently before straining into the mushrooms and assembling the lasagna. The assembled lasagna can be tightly covered and refrigerated for a day before baking. Leftovers will keep for 3 or 4 days. Reheat in a low oven or in a microwave.
This lasagna tastes very rich, even though it really isn’t. It combines an olive oil béchamel with a simple mushroom ragout and Parmesan cheese. I prefer no-boil lasagna noodles because they’re lighter than regular lasagna noodles. But I still boil them because I think the results are better if they’re cooked until they’re flexible (a couple of minutes) first.

Ingredients
For the mushrooms:
1 oz (about 1 cup) dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots or 1 sm onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt
1/2 cup fruity red wine, such as a Côtes du Rhône or Syrah
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper

For the béchamel:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp minced shallot or onion
2 Tbsp sifted all-purpose flour
2 cup milk (may use low-fat milk)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the lasagna:
1/2 lb no-boil lasagna noodles
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
A few leaves of fresh sage (optional)

Directions
1. Place the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Then rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the soaking liquid, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry and set aside. Chop coarsely. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the shallots or onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and to sweat, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, 5 to 10 minutes. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.

3. Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw-flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Strain while hot into the pan with the mushrooms.

4. Assemble the lasagna. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil or butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, just the number you need for one layer. Cook only until flexible, and using tongs or a skimmer, remove from the pan and set on a kitchen towel to drain. Spoon a thin layer of béchamel and mushrooms over the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread a ladleful of the mushroom/béchamel mixture over the noodles and top with a layer of Parmesan. Cook the next layer of noodles and continue to repeat the layers (I get three layers in my pan), ending with a layer of the mushroom/béchamel mixture topped with Parmesan. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and if you want the edges of the noodles crispy and the top lightly browned, continue to bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread

Servings: 8
Preheat: 350°
Cook Time: 40 min
Source: Fine Cooking 113, pp. 22

Olive oil not only adds an incredible depth of flavor, but used in place of butter or shortening, it makes quick breads better for you by supplying healthy fat and antioxidants. Pumpkin seeds are an optional topping here,

Ingredients
Cooking spray
3-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) whole wheat flour
3 oz. (2/3 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. table salt
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbs. unsalted pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas; optional)

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk both flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, sugar, oil, and honey until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a large spoon just until evenly incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to settle the batter. Sprinkle the top with the pumpkin seeds (if using), pressing them down lightly. Bake until the top is browned and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the bread begins to brown too much before it’s fully baked, lay a piece of aluminum foil on top.) Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then transfer the bread to a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Chicken Cassoulet with Acorn Squash

Servings: 8
Preheat: 325°
Source: Cooking Light, October 1998
The squash-and-bean mixture (paragraphs 1 and 2 in the method) can be prepared a day ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter $
2 cups chopped onion, divided $
2 garlic cloves, minced $
1/2 cup dry Marsala or apple cider $
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided $
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano $
2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled acorn squash $
1 cup diced carrot $
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast $
2 bacon slices $
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices $

Directions
Melt margarine in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add Marsala, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, squash, and carrot in pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Partially mash the beans with a potato masher, and add beans and tomato mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 325°.
Rub chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Add 1 cup onion and sausage to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken, crumbled bacon, and sausage mixture to bean mixture in pan, stirring to combine.
Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Orange Butter Cookies

Servings: 4 doz
Preheat: 350°
Source: NY Times
Adapted from “The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread” by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree (Wiley, 2008)

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cup cake flour or more all-purpose flour (cake flour gives a finer texture)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
2 packed tsp freshly grated orange zest
1 lg egg plus 2 lg egg yolks, at room temp
FOR THE ICING (SEE NOTE):
1 orange
1 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 to 4 Tbsp whole milk
2 drops almond or vanilla extract
Pinch fine salt.

Directions
1. Position two oven racks in top and bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, whisk flours, baking soda and salt together. In a mixer, cream together the sugar, butter and orange zest at medium speed until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of bowl frequently. Add egg and mix. Add one egg yolk and mix. Add remaining egg yolk and mix. Stir in dry ingredients just until combined.

3. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto parchment, leaving more than 1 inch between cookies. Press each one down lightly with 2 fingers to flatten to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Leave any ridges and valleys on top of cookie intact, but smooth the edges.

4. Bake about 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through. Cookies should be pale but baked all the way through. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool before storing in airtight containers up to 1 week.

5. When ready to serve, make icing: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Peel orange, being careful to remove only outer orange zest, and cut into thin strips. Blanch in boiling water 1 minute; drain. Sift confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons milk. Whisk in more milk if needed to make mixture thin enough to spread. Add extract, salt and zest, and whisk to combine.

6. Place cookies on a rack and drizzle icing over each one (make sure there is some orange zest in each spoonful). Icing will settle into cookie crevices; let harden.

Note: Instead of icing, cookies can be sprinkled with coarse crystal sugar before baking.

Perciatelli with Cauliflower, Spicy Tomato Sauce, Capers and Pecorino

Servings: 4
Source: Martha Rose Shulman
Perciatelli are hollow long noodles that also go by the name bucatini. Their texture is robust, supporting a robust sauce like this one. Because the noodles are hollow, they cook much more quickly than spaghetti, so keep your eye on them so they don’t get too soft.

Ingredients
1 sm cauliflower or 1/2 large
cauliflower, broken into florets (about 1 pound)
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice, pulsed a few times in a food processor or mini processor
Pinch of sugar
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
3/4 lb perciatelli (bucatini)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

4 anchovy filets
2 oz pecorino, grated (1/2 cup), or 1 oz each pecorino and Parmesan

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Core the cauliflower and break it into florets. Toss with olive oil and roast on sheet pan until brown in spots and al dente.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet and add the garlic, anchovy filets, and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the puréed tomatoes, a pinch of sugar, and salt to taste. Add the capers simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the perciatelli. Cook al dente, usually about 7 or 8 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the cauliflower and stir. Drain the pasta and add to the pan, along with the roasted cauliflower, parsley and the pecorino. Stir together and serve.

Advance Preparation : You can make this through Step 2 up to a day ahead and reheat on top of the stove.

Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta

Servings: 6-8
Source: Ken Kennemer
I like to use a shallow-ish rustic ceramic bowl for this dish so that people can help themselves.

Ingredients
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup + 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup Meyer lemon juice (4-6 Meyer lemons)
2 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon zest
1 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt

Directions
Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a small ramekin; let it soften for 5 minutes or until no dry spots remain.

Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Add cream, lemon juice and lemon zest. Let cool slightly.

Put yogurt in a mixing bowl and whisk to loosen it up. Add the cream mixture, little by little, gently stirring after each addition to break up any lumps of yogurt before adding more cream. Do not over stir, which will avoid air bubbles.

Pour mixture into a 5-cup bowl or mold. Tap the bowl on the counter to remove air bubbles. Cover and chill until set, 6 hours to overnight.

Per serving: 228 calories, 3 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat (7 g saturated), 41 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Brining Turkey

Servings: —
Source: Foster Farms website
Brining is a method of marinating in seasoned, salted water to increase the moisture content of the turkey. Amazingly, it doesn’t make the turkey taste salty. When done properly, brining makes the meat very juicy and if seasoning is added to the brining liquid, the flavors are trapped in the meat as well. Our method of “”flavor brining”” is used to enhance the taste and texture of the turkey.

Ingredients
Clean, food-grade plastic, stainless steel, glass or other heavy-duty container made of non-corrosive material, and lg enough to hold the turkey and about 8 qrt of water (DO NOT use aluminum containers because they are corrosive)
lg heavy plastic, food-grade bag (such as turkey oven roasting bag)
lg non-corrosive stock pot
One fresh or thawed Foster Farms turkey
8 qrt water
2 cup kosher salt.
1/2 cup brown sugar
desired seasonings (garlic, herbs, and spices).

Directions
Line brining container with food-grade heavy plastic bag (DO NOT use garbage or other plastic bags that are not specifically intended for food use).

To make brine: In different large stockpot mix water and salt. Bring to a boil; stir to dissolve salt. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and desired seasonings.

Refrigerate brine overnight or until chilled.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity. Rinse turkey cavity and skin under cold water.

Place turkey in lined container. Add brine. Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that the bird is completely covered with brine; squeeze out excess air from bag. Seal bag.

Refrigerate turkey in brine at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours, following desired recipe. A rule of thumb is brine 1 hour per pound of turkey

Remove turkey from brine; rinse cavity and skin under cool water. Pat dry inside and out. Discard brine.

Immediately cook turkey according to package directions.

Additional Tips

Always refrigerate turkey and brine.

Heating the brine solution dissolves the salt and enhances the flavor of any seasonings.

Brine should be cold before adding the turkey or the meat will absorb too much salt.

A brine solution guideline: 1 gallon liquid to 1 cup kosher salt or 1 gallon liquid to 1/2 cup table salt.

For a delicious twist, try our Honey Garlic Brine: 8 quarts water, 2 cups Kosher salt, 1 cup honey, 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved and 4 sprigs rosemary. (To replace Kosher salt with table salt, reduce salt to 1 cup.) Bring water and salt to a boil; stir to dissolve salt. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate overnight or until well chilled. Proceed with above recipe.

Discard brine after use.

When stuffing turkey, brine the turkey first. Cook immediately after stuffing.

If turkey is left in brine too long it will taste over seasoned and have a mushy texture.