I have no sort of witty repartee to precede this recipe, as I am nearing the end of my list of recipes I've made so far, and my cup of Ethiopian expired long ago. So, here it is.
Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Applesauce
3 large Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger - peeled, thickly sliced and lightly smashed
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Two 3/4-pound pork tenderloins, cut into 1-1/2 inch medallions and flattened slightly
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 rosemary sprig....
Preparation:
1. In a saucepan, combine the apples, wine, water, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the butter and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the apples are tender, about 12 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Discard the ginger and cinnamon.
2. In a skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the pork medallions with salt and pepper. Add them to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. Return the skillet to high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the rosemary browns and the butter is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig. Spoon the applesauce onto plates and top with the pork. Spoon the rosemary butter over the top and serve.
Okay. I liked this recipe but I didn't like the way it was worded. There were a lot of things that tripped me up, even though the end result was alright. First: the ginger. I am not overly familiar with ginger as an ingredient, so telling me to get a one-inch piece of ginger really didn't mean much to me. There weren't any pieces of ginger available at the store that were only one inch big. I wasn't sure if it meant one inch length or one inch width. I just hacked off a chunk of ginger that looked like it might be enough, compared to the apples.
Slightly crushed? What does that MEAN! It is either crushed, or it's not. I believe I crushed them with enough slightness but upon crushing, it was harder to tell the difference between the ginger and the apples. Had I known that I would need to remove the ginger, I would have made sure that it did not resemble an apple slice whatsoever. I ended up getting a piece of ginger on my plate... that was a bit of a shocker.
The recipe also calls for the rosemary to be broken into 1-inch pieces. I did this the first time through, using the pork skillet (with all the olive oil still left in it...? Gross). Then I found it immensely difficult to remove the rosemary as requested, and was confused because when the rosemary is to be removed, the recipe makes it out to be one whole sprig as opposed to one broken into a bunch of pieces.
I ended up re-making the rosemary butter in a separate, clean, un-olive-oiled pan. There was a bunch of junk in there from the pork and it resulted in a murky, gross-looking mess that I decided I would not like to have on my food. I actually was missing the rosemary flavor even with the butter. I wished that the flavors of the apple, pork and rosemary could have been more integrated, but they were not at all. Next time I might add rosemary to the applesauce while I am making it - that would add a bit more complexity to the dish and would complement the pork really well. Maybe even adding rosemary to the pork skillet would be a nice touch.
The dish was good, and edible, and all, but would have benefited from a few tweaks to the recipe
Newb: 9 Food: 2
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Episode Ten: Penne with Veal Ragu
C and I went up to my parents' cottage last weekend, and decided to give them a break from cooking. C grilled both nights we were there, and on the last day I cooked lunch. This is the first time my parents have ever seen me cook anything real, and I was way nervous and also excited at the same time. It was a very different dish from what they are used to eating, so I was nervous that they wouldn't like it. However, I got rave reviews and my mom even ate the leftovers!
This recipe was from the Food & Wine 2001 Annual Cookbook, submitted by Amanda Hesser.
Penne with Veal Ragu
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground veal
3/4 pound mild pork sausage with fennel seeds, casings removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small fennel bulb - halved, cored and finely diced, fronds reserved
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed and drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
1/2 cup beef stock
3/4 pound penne
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Preparation:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the veal and sausage and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat into walnut-size pieces, until just browned, about 20 minutes. Add the fennel, carrot and garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the whole milk and simmer until reduced by three-quarters, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato paste and marjoram and cook until reduced by half. Add the stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat until the liquid has reduced by three-quarters, about 20 minutes.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente; drain. Add the penne to the veal sauce and cook over moderate heat, stirring to coat the penne with the sauce. Divide the penne among 6 bowls, sprinkle with the reserved fennel fronds and serve, passing the cheese at the table.
This was another extremely hearty dish, and it was actually perfect for lunch. There were a few strange things about the way the recipe is written, but the outcome was lovely. I was able to break the sausage up into pieces, but the veal seemed to just crumble into little specks. It would not hold together, and I'm not sure why this was. Also, after the beef broth is added, there isn't much liquid to speak of in the pan... so the point at which it is properly reduced is really hard to tell, because all the meat seems to cover up the liquid in the pan.
I'm starting a love affair with fennel bulb, and it began with this recipe. It was fantastic.
Newb: 8 Food: 2
♥ Ashley
This recipe was from the Food & Wine 2001 Annual Cookbook, submitted by Amanda Hesser.
Penne with Veal Ragu
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground veal
3/4 pound mild pork sausage with fennel seeds, casings removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small fennel bulb - halved, cored and finely diced, fronds reserved
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed and drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
1/2 cup beef stock
3/4 pound penne
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Preparation:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the veal and sausage and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat into walnut-size pieces, until just browned, about 20 minutes. Add the fennel, carrot and garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the whole milk and simmer until reduced by three-quarters, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato paste and marjoram and cook until reduced by half. Add the stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat until the liquid has reduced by three-quarters, about 20 minutes.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente; drain. Add the penne to the veal sauce and cook over moderate heat, stirring to coat the penne with the sauce. Divide the penne among 6 bowls, sprinkle with the reserved fennel fronds and serve, passing the cheese at the table.
This was another extremely hearty dish, and it was actually perfect for lunch. There were a few strange things about the way the recipe is written, but the outcome was lovely. I was able to break the sausage up into pieces, but the veal seemed to just crumble into little specks. It would not hold together, and I'm not sure why this was. Also, after the beef broth is added, there isn't much liquid to speak of in the pan... so the point at which it is properly reduced is really hard to tell, because all the meat seems to cover up the liquid in the pan.
I'm starting a love affair with fennel bulb, and it began with this recipe. It was fantastic.
Newb: 8 Food: 2
♥ Ashley
Episode Nine: Chicken in Tarragon Cream Sauce
Confession: Something that has always terrified me is the handling of something that still resembles the animal from which I am going to be eating. For example, a whole chicken. Knowing that it still has bones in it, and seeing where the head and feet used to be, really freaks me out. By no means could I ever swear off of meat forever, especially not chicken, but the prospect of having to actually take apart an animal on my own was almost enough to convince me to abstain.
So when C went off to the grocery store to fetch me a forgotten ingredient, I realized that if I wanted to eat what was going to be my dinner, I would have to man up and learn how to do this terrible thing. The really amusing part is that as I was tearing bones out of their joints and cutting apart tendons, one of my employees called me to ask a question about his shift. I couldn't really put down my charge, so I continued to chat with him while all along I was tearing apart a small animal.
It's actually not that funny. Ugh.
Anyway, this recipe is from Food & Wine's 2001 Annual Cookbook, a recipe submitted by Pascal Chaupitre.
Chicken in Tarragon Cream Sauce
10 tarragon stems, plus 2 tablespoons leaves
2 quarts rich chicken stock
1-1/2 quarts heavy cream
1 bottle dry white win, preferably a French Sauvignon Blanc
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Two 3-1/2 pound chickens - each cut into drumsticks, thighs and breast halves on the bone
1/2 pound baby carrots
Preparation:
1. Tie the tarragon stems in a bundle. In a large pot, combine the stock, cream, wine, and tarragon stems. Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and bring to a boil, skimming. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until the breasts are cooked through, 20 minutes. Transfer to a platter; cover with foil.
2. Continue to simmer the leg pieces until cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Add the leg pieces to the breasts on the platter and cover with foil. Simmer the sauce over low heat until it has reduced by half, about 1-1/2 hours. Discard the tarragon stems.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the carrots until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain.
4. Return the chicken to the sauce. Add the carrots and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the tarragon leaves and serve in shallow bowls.
Holy crap, was this dish rich! It was amazing. I halved the recipe, because obviously two people cannot eat two chickens in one sitting. For the most part, the times indicated in the recipe were right on (something I love, because I enjoy setting a timer and not having to guess at extra time, or coming to find a ruined dinner). I should have read through the recipe before deciding to make it, because neither of us realized it was a 2+ hour cooking time. We ended up eating really late that night. Also, while the chicken was all cooked to temperature, the dark meat was a lot more tender than the white meat. I would consider using only thighs and legs next time, and reserving the breasts for something else.
I chopped, and poached, a chicken! Success!
Newb: 7 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
Starting next blog, ricotta is going to be removed from the roster. It just hasn't been performing.
♥ Ashley
Episode Eight: Rice Pudding
After spending a lovely Fourth of July in Sheboygan with C's family, I came home with an extremely well-written English paper from Gail, C's mom. Why would I have an English paper? Well, that's because C was looking for his great-grandmother's recipe for rice pudding, having failed several times to convince me that rice pudding was supposed to be good. Each time he purchased it, we ended up with a literal pudding that happened to have grains of rice chucked into it. I was less than convinced, and being a very hard-to-please person regarding texture, I decided that all rice pudding was gross.
Gail (obviously) had the recipe, and had written a process paper on the steps to making the recipe. Because I have recently decided to change my major to English, she thought she would print off the paper so I could get my not-really-professional opinion on it. It also contains a more thorough description of the process than a normal recipe could offer.
Grandma Zastrow's Rice Pudding
2/3 cups uncooked, long grain white rice
3 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation:
1. In the top pan of a double boiler, combine the rice, boiling water and salt, and cover. Fill the bottom pan about half full of water, put the top pan in place over the water and set it on a burner over medium heat. Boil for 40 minutes, adding water to the bottom pan as necessary, until the rice is soft and tender.
2. When rice is cooked, uncover the top pan. There will be a small amount of water remaining with the rice - keep this in the pan. Add sweetened condensed milk and butter. Stir well, making sure butter is melted into the mixture. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently until slightly thickened.
3. Remove mixture from heat, stir in vanilla. Add ground cinnamon or raisins as a garnish. May be served warm or cold.
Although we do not have a double boiler, I improvised with a metal bowl inside a pot of water. This seemed to work out just fine. I was able to use the time indications almost exactly, and everything came out just as predicted. The recipe did note that the "thickening" could take up to 20 minutes, and I took that a bit literally, setting the timer for 20 minutes. C came in around 17 minutes in and removed the bowl from the heat. He asserted that the texture was a little bit off, but the flavor was right. I enjoyed the texture, personally, especially when it was warm. I am going to be making this again soon. It was amazing, and I am now a believer in rice pudding.
Newb: 6 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Gail (obviously) had the recipe, and had written a process paper on the steps to making the recipe. Because I have recently decided to change my major to English, she thought she would print off the paper so I could get my not-really-professional opinion on it. It also contains a more thorough description of the process than a normal recipe could offer.
Grandma Zastrow's Rice Pudding
2/3 cups uncooked, long grain white rice
3 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation:
1. In the top pan of a double boiler, combine the rice, boiling water and salt, and cover. Fill the bottom pan about half full of water, put the top pan in place over the water and set it on a burner over medium heat. Boil for 40 minutes, adding water to the bottom pan as necessary, until the rice is soft and tender.
2. When rice is cooked, uncover the top pan. There will be a small amount of water remaining with the rice - keep this in the pan. Add sweetened condensed milk and butter. Stir well, making sure butter is melted into the mixture. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently until slightly thickened.
3. Remove mixture from heat, stir in vanilla. Add ground cinnamon or raisins as a garnish. May be served warm or cold.
Although we do not have a double boiler, I improvised with a metal bowl inside a pot of water. This seemed to work out just fine. I was able to use the time indications almost exactly, and everything came out just as predicted. The recipe did note that the "thickening" could take up to 20 minutes, and I took that a bit literally, setting the timer for 20 minutes. C came in around 17 minutes in and removed the bowl from the heat. He asserted that the texture was a little bit off, but the flavor was right. I enjoyed the texture, personally, especially when it was warm. I am going to be making this again soon. It was amazing, and I am now a believer in rice pudding.
Newb: 6 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Episode Seven: Coconut Berry Pizza
On the same night I made the Beef Ragu with Ravioli, I also made dessert, taken again from the Taste of Home website. Fruit pizza is one of my favorite desserts in the whole world, and previously I had made it with a cream cheese/sugar spread (with a little food coloring for effect!) over a large sheet of store-bought sugar cookie. While that method is certainly tasty, I found this to be a bit more elegant, and probably at least a tiny bit healthier.
Coconut Berry Pizza
1 sheet puff pastry
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 medium kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
1-1/3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1-1/3 cups each: fresh raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted
Preparation:
1. Prepare puff pastry according to directions on the box: Thaw, then roll flat into the desired shape. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased pan. Bake as directed, cool on a wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and jam until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust. Arrange fruit over top. Sprinkle with coconut. Chill until serving.
I have to admit something: I just lied to you. The recipe called for 2 tubes of crescent rolls, not puff pastry. But as I mentioned in a previous blog, Pilsbury (and generally all other mock products) tends to add some flavor items even to unflavored crescents. Plus, puff pastry is yummy. The only problem is that it shrunk a lot, and puffed A LOT (but I suppose... it is puff pastry...). Therefore, the spread-to-pastry ratio was way too high, and it made the dessert a bit heavy. But not so heavy that I couldn't eat a whole lot of it!
This recipe was amazing. Despite the overload of topping in each bite, there was also an overload of fruit in each bite. My only real complaint is actually having to do with the pastry itself - there seemed to be a bit of a bitter aftertaste following a bite consisting of mostly pastry. So next time, I might consider trying the crescent roll option and seeing how that fares in comparison. I'm not completely sold, but I'll give it a shot anyway.
Another note - I did not toast the coconut. It tasted fine anyway, but I bet the toasting would have changed the flavor a little bit.
Looks like the newb is gaining experience points...
Newb: 5 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Coconut Berry Pizza
1 sheet puff pastry
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 medium kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
1-1/3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1-1/3 cups each: fresh raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted
Preparation:
1. Prepare puff pastry according to directions on the box: Thaw, then roll flat into the desired shape. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased pan. Bake as directed, cool on a wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and jam until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust. Arrange fruit over top. Sprinkle with coconut. Chill until serving.
I have to admit something: I just lied to you. The recipe called for 2 tubes of crescent rolls, not puff pastry. But as I mentioned in a previous blog, Pilsbury (and generally all other mock products) tends to add some flavor items even to unflavored crescents. Plus, puff pastry is yummy. The only problem is that it shrunk a lot, and puffed A LOT (but I suppose... it is puff pastry...). Therefore, the spread-to-pastry ratio was way too high, and it made the dessert a bit heavy. But not so heavy that I couldn't eat a whole lot of it!
This recipe was amazing. Despite the overload of topping in each bite, there was also an overload of fruit in each bite. My only real complaint is actually having to do with the pastry itself - there seemed to be a bit of a bitter aftertaste following a bite consisting of mostly pastry. So next time, I might consider trying the crescent roll option and seeing how that fares in comparison. I'm not completely sold, but I'll give it a shot anyway.
Another note - I did not toast the coconut. It tasted fine anyway, but I bet the toasting would have changed the flavor a little bit.
Looks like the newb is gaining experience points...
Newb: 5 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Episode Six: Beef Ragu with Ravioli
While I am often miserable at finding and selecting good recipes, C seems to have a knack for knowing which recipes will work well. So, when we decided that a Ragu would be a tasty dinner, he promptly found this recipe on the Taste of Home website. He printed it out, and I ran with it... with some success!
Beef Ragu with Ravioli
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (20 oz.) refrigerated cheese ravioli
Grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, broth, wine, tomato paste, rosemary, sugar, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
2. Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Serve with meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
Confession: When I was growing up, I loved my mom's food. Only recently have I realized that loving mom's cooking means that I have a relatively high salt tolerance (Don't worry, Mom - that's not really a bad thing). This also means that dishes which do not contain much salt taste a bit flavorless to me. I have no problems with salty food even now - but I am starting to appreciate dishes in which I can taste all the individual flavors. This is one of those dishes.
Because the tomatoes are fresh instead of canned, the salt content is much lower than what I am used to having. This had the result of producing a very fresh, garden-vegetable flavor in the sauce which sort of threw me off, but I liked it all the same. I used fettuccine instead of ravioli at C's request, as he thought the sauce would hold better on those noodles. I think that the cheese in the ravioli would have added that extra detail of saltiness that I was missing; as it was, I found myself adding a lot of Parmesan to my dish. Overall, though, we rated it a success.
Newb: 4 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Beef Ragu with Ravioli
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (20 oz.) refrigerated cheese ravioli
Grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, broth, wine, tomato paste, rosemary, sugar, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
2. Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Serve with meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
Confession: When I was growing up, I loved my mom's food. Only recently have I realized that loving mom's cooking means that I have a relatively high salt tolerance (Don't worry, Mom - that's not really a bad thing). This also means that dishes which do not contain much salt taste a bit flavorless to me. I have no problems with salty food even now - but I am starting to appreciate dishes in which I can taste all the individual flavors. This is one of those dishes.
Because the tomatoes are fresh instead of canned, the salt content is much lower than what I am used to having. This had the result of producing a very fresh, garden-vegetable flavor in the sauce which sort of threw me off, but I liked it all the same. I used fettuccine instead of ravioli at C's request, as he thought the sauce would hold better on those noodles. I think that the cheese in the ravioli would have added that extra detail of saltiness that I was missing; as it was, I found myself adding a lot of Parmesan to my dish. Overall, though, we rated it a success.
Newb: 4 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Episode Five: Crawfish and Cream over Pasta
*If anyone is wondering, I have cataloged all the recipes I've cooked over the past few months, and am going through all of them tonight, fueled by an extremely decent cup of Stone Creek Coffee's Organic Ethiopian out of our new GE brewer... which is fantastic!*
For some reason, there was a long hiatus in which I did not cook anything for dinner. C cooked a whole bunch, and whipped out his grilling expertise, but we dined out a lot and I lost a bit of faith in my cooking abilities. Just as I was about to give up on my dreams (not really), Christian printed out a recipe, gave it to me, and told me to make it. It was Emeril Lagasse's Crawfish and Cream over Pasta, which was one of the first recipes that C ever made. Due to limited availability of crawfish in the area, we decided to go with shrimp instead.
Crawfish and Cream over Pasta
1 pound linguine or fettucine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons Essence
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound crawfish tails*
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
*Peeled medium shrimp can be substituted, but the cooking time must be increased to allow thorough cooking (I bought pre-cooked shrimp because it was cheaper, so this is unnecessary)
Preparation:
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return to pot and toss with the olive oil and reserved cooking liquid. Cover to keep warm.
2. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook over high heat until nearly all evaporated.
3. Add the cream, lemon juice, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Add the crawfish tails/shrimp and cook, stirring, to warm through. Add the onions and parsley and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook until the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the cheese.
5. Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Serve.
The recipe for Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning (Bayou Blast) can be found here.
I really enjoyed this recipe, and it turned out great (although I added the shrimp at the very last second, which was not enough time to warm it properly - I would add it as the recipe calls). We sprinkled some essence on top after dishing it up, which served well as a little extra burst of flavor here and there. I chose to go with linguine when I made it, but I think fettuccine would have carried the sauce a bit better.
The recipe isn't overly spicy, as some may fear with the addition of cayenne and "essence" - I can vouch for this as I am staunchly opposed to overly spicy foods. It has the flavor of Creole without the spice sometimes associated with it. Very good!
Does not keep for long in the refrigerator - eat the leftovers within two days, or get rid of it. I recently cleaned out my fridge, and found I had forgotten to get rid of one tupperware container which held mostly shrimp... I can't even describe the smell.
Newb: 3 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
For some reason, there was a long hiatus in which I did not cook anything for dinner. C cooked a whole bunch, and whipped out his grilling expertise, but we dined out a lot and I lost a bit of faith in my cooking abilities. Just as I was about to give up on my dreams (not really), Christian printed out a recipe, gave it to me, and told me to make it. It was Emeril Lagasse's Crawfish and Cream over Pasta, which was one of the first recipes that C ever made. Due to limited availability of crawfish in the area, we decided to go with shrimp instead.
Crawfish and Cream over Pasta
1 pound linguine or fettucine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons Essence
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound crawfish tails*
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
*Peeled medium shrimp can be substituted, but the cooking time must be increased to allow thorough cooking (I bought pre-cooked shrimp because it was cheaper, so this is unnecessary)
Preparation:
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return to pot and toss with the olive oil and reserved cooking liquid. Cover to keep warm.
2. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook over high heat until nearly all evaporated.
3. Add the cream, lemon juice, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Add the crawfish tails/shrimp and cook, stirring, to warm through. Add the onions and parsley and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook until the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the cheese.
5. Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Serve.
The recipe for Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning (Bayou Blast) can be found here.
I really enjoyed this recipe, and it turned out great (although I added the shrimp at the very last second, which was not enough time to warm it properly - I would add it as the recipe calls). We sprinkled some essence on top after dishing it up, which served well as a little extra burst of flavor here and there. I chose to go with linguine when I made it, but I think fettuccine would have carried the sauce a bit better.
The recipe isn't overly spicy, as some may fear with the addition of cayenne and "essence" - I can vouch for this as I am staunchly opposed to overly spicy foods. It has the flavor of Creole without the spice sometimes associated with it. Very good!
Does not keep for long in the refrigerator - eat the leftovers within two days, or get rid of it. I recently cleaned out my fridge, and found I had forgotten to get rid of one tupperware container which held mostly shrimp... I can't even describe the smell.
Newb: 3 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Episode Four: Seared Chicken with Merlot & Raspberry Sauce
For the first time my friend Kelsey came to visit our apartment, I decided I should cook dinner to make up for all the times she cooked dinner for C and I. Being that she and I are total winos, I thought it would be appropriate to make this chicken recipe (from Robin to the Rescue), because it would pair well with wine, and that's always okay.
Seared Chicken with Merlot & Raspberry Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup merlot or other dry red wine
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (optional)
Preparation:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan. Sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the merlot and cook for 1 minute.
2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the sauce ingredients and add to the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces and the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes, then serve.
To go with this, because I forgot to prepare a vegetable and felt that there was something else I needed, I decided to prepare Robin's Rosemary-Rubbed Flatbread.
Rosemary-Rubbed Flatbread
Cooking spray
1 pound fresh or frozen bread or pizza dough, thawed according to instructions
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 450○F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 9x15-inch rectangle. Brush the oil all over the top of the dough and sprinkle with the garlic and rosemary. Season the top with salt and pepper. Bake until puffed up and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
I had several interesting things happen with my 'flatbread'. Because I am, admittedly, a newb, I failed to understand (or maybe fully read) the recipe's demands, electing to buy Pilsbury dinner rolls as my "dough". Because this is obviously not actually bread dough, and pre-perforated, I just decided to rip the rolls as directed, and apply the rosemary, olive oil and garlic individually. I also forgot to start the rolls until the chicken was almost done, so we were not able to eat the two items together. Finally, Pilsbury tends to add a bit of flavor to their dough, so the rolls were extremely salty with a good helping of butter flavoring.
I did find, though, that the chicken was rather delicious. Christian though it lacked a flavor element, but Kelsey and I both enjoyed it. It was a little sweet, but there was enough complexity to the sauce that the follow-through on the flavor counteracted the sweetness of the raspberry. Adding some fresh rosemary to the chicken was a nice extra flavor.
So, the score so far:
Newb: 2 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Seared Chicken with Merlot & Raspberry Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup merlot or other dry red wine
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (optional)
Preparation:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan. Sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the merlot and cook for 1 minute.
2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the sauce ingredients and add to the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces and the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes, then serve.
To go with this, because I forgot to prepare a vegetable and felt that there was something else I needed, I decided to prepare Robin's Rosemary-Rubbed Flatbread.
Rosemary-Rubbed Flatbread
Cooking spray
1 pound fresh or frozen bread or pizza dough, thawed according to instructions
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 450○F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 9x15-inch rectangle. Brush the oil all over the top of the dough and sprinkle with the garlic and rosemary. Season the top with salt and pepper. Bake until puffed up and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
I had several interesting things happen with my 'flatbread'. Because I am, admittedly, a newb, I failed to understand (or maybe fully read) the recipe's demands, electing to buy Pilsbury dinner rolls as my "dough". Because this is obviously not actually bread dough, and pre-perforated, I just decided to rip the rolls as directed, and apply the rosemary, olive oil and garlic individually. I also forgot to start the rolls until the chicken was almost done, so we were not able to eat the two items together. Finally, Pilsbury tends to add a bit of flavor to their dough, so the rolls were extremely salty with a good helping of butter flavoring.
I did find, though, that the chicken was rather delicious. Christian though it lacked a flavor element, but Kelsey and I both enjoyed it. It was a little sweet, but there was enough complexity to the sauce that the follow-through on the flavor counteracted the sweetness of the raspberry. Adding some fresh rosemary to the chicken was a nice extra flavor.
So, the score so far:
Newb: 2 Food: 2 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Episode Three: 4-Cheese Stuffed Shells
When C moved into his previous apartment, we had the great fortune of realizing that one of my best friends had recently moved into an apartment right around the corner. She invited us to dinner after we finished the moving process, and made us these absolutely wonderful stuffed shells. Remembering how great they were, and how much C seemed to like them, I decided to surprise him with shells for dinner. I couldn't find a recipe I liked in our books, so I set off to The Internet to find something a little better.
I couldn't find any one recipe that I liked, so I combined Rachael Ray's recipe with a sauce recipe that was provided in someone else's recipe for shells. Unfortunately, I can't find the sauce recipe now, so I'll just pretend I used all of Rachael's recipe for the purposes of this entry.
Four Cheese Stuffed Shells
Salt
8 pieces jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese or part skim ricotta cheese
1 pound mozzarella, diced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup shredded Asiago
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 or 7 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
Preparation:
I couldn't find any one recipe that I liked, so I combined Rachael Ray's recipe with a sauce recipe that was provided in someone else's recipe for shells. Unfortunately, I can't find the sauce recipe now, so I'll just pretend I used all of Rachael's recipe for the purposes of this entry.
Four Cheese Stuffed Shells
Salt
8 pieces jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese or part skim ricotta cheese
1 pound mozzarella, diced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup shredded Asiago
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 or 7 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven or broiler to 450 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add pasta. Cook shells 12 to 15 minutes, they should be softened but still undercooked at the center. Drain pasta and cool.
3. Combine ricotta, 1/2 of the diced mozzarella, a couple of handfuls of Parmigiano and 1/2 of the Asiago. Add parsley to the cheeses and stir to combine.
4. To a small saucepot over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Saute onions and garlic 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce 5 minutes and stir in basil leaves
5. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized casserole dish. Fill shells with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in casserole dish. Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and Asiago cheeses. Place shells in very hot oven or 8 inches from hot broiler and cook 6 to 8 minutes to melt cheeses and bubble sauce.
I had a few issues with this recipe. First of all, I immediately decided to use more shells than what the recipe recommended. Going through all the other comments and home-submitted recipes alerted me to the fact that these shells are small, and the amount of filling that the recipe makes fills way more than just eight shells. So I ended up cooking about 17 shells total, still having a lot of extra filling left over.
Next, I ran into an issue finding Asiago cheese. My local Pick 'N' Save is somewhat lacking in several areas, so cheese that is not cheddar was extraordinarily difficult to locate. I ended up getting Parmesan and Romano. I also did not get enough Mozzarella, so I was forced to improvise (to prevent my filling from being ALL Ricotta) by grating some string cheese we had sitting around. Not recommended.
The outcome: though everything was prepared correctly (the shells were the perfect consistency), there was way too much food, and WAY too much filling even after doubling the amount of shells. The filling was mostly Ricotta, which gave it a sweeter flavor than I would have liked. It was incredibly creamy, that's true, but I couldn't taste any of the other cheeses, and the texture actually started to make me feel sick. Next time I'll look for a recipe that doesn't use quite so much Ricotta... I think that should solve the problem.
Newb: 1 Food: 1 Ricotta: 1
♥ Ashley
Episode Two: Tortellini with Sage-Walnut Sauce
After a recovery period following my failed attempt at realizing my secret dream of becoming a chef, Christian urged me to look through one of my books to find a recipe to try. Needless to say, I was a bit apprehensive. Nearly every time I have attempted a recipe in the history of my life, it has failed. However I was feeling rather bold that day, and decided that it wouldn't be that hard, provided there were good instructions included.
I found this recipe in a book called Robin to the Rescue by Robin Miller, host of Food Network's Quick Fix Meals. The book contains recipes that all seem to take less than an hour, and many of the recipes seem to contain as few ingredients as possible. She offers alternative preparation methods, tips for reducing prep time by preparing ingredients in advance, and customization options. The recipes are laid out in a very detailed format, which makes it easy for a novice cook to succeed!
Tortellini with Sage-Walnut Sauce
1 lb. cheese tortellini (use tri-color for extra color in the dish)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. While the tortellini are cooking, place the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat and cook until they are toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Remove the walnuts from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low, add the heavy cream, and let simmer for 1 minute to heat through. Return the walnuts to the pan, stir in the tortellini, and cook for 1 minute to heat through. Remove from the pan, stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Regarding this recipe: I would have liked more sage flavor in the sauce. Also, I followed the directions to the minute, mostly because I wasn't confident in my assessment of the status (for example, at what point is sage fragrant? I could smell it when I put it in the pan). Adding 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and only cooking for one minute, leads to an extremely runny sauce. I feel that she was trying to lessen the amount of time, and then didn't allow for the sauce to reduce. This resulted in a less flavorful pasta - though it was still tasty. It was better the next day, as the sauce thickened in the refrigerator.
Despite a runny sauce, the dish was still flavorful and non-ruined, so I'll chalk that one up as a success. In the battle of Newb vs. Food, this time, Newb won!
Newb: 1 Food: 1
♥ Ashley
I found this recipe in a book called Robin to the Rescue by Robin Miller, host of Food Network's Quick Fix Meals. The book contains recipes that all seem to take less than an hour, and many of the recipes seem to contain as few ingredients as possible. She offers alternative preparation methods, tips for reducing prep time by preparing ingredients in advance, and customization options. The recipes are laid out in a very detailed format, which makes it easy for a novice cook to succeed!
Tortellini with Sage-Walnut Sauce
1 lb. cheese tortellini (use tri-color for extra color in the dish)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. While the tortellini are cooking, place the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat and cook until they are toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Remove the walnuts from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low, add the heavy cream, and let simmer for 1 minute to heat through. Return the walnuts to the pan, stir in the tortellini, and cook for 1 minute to heat through. Remove from the pan, stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Regarding this recipe: I would have liked more sage flavor in the sauce. Also, I followed the directions to the minute, mostly because I wasn't confident in my assessment of the status (for example, at what point is sage fragrant? I could smell it when I put it in the pan). Adding 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and only cooking for one minute, leads to an extremely runny sauce. I feel that she was trying to lessen the amount of time, and then didn't allow for the sauce to reduce. This resulted in a less flavorful pasta - though it was still tasty. It was better the next day, as the sauce thickened in the refrigerator.
Despite a runny sauce, the dish was still flavorful and non-ruined, so I'll chalk that one up as a success. In the battle of Newb vs. Food, this time, Newb won!
Newb: 1 Food: 1
♥ Ashley
Episode One: Freestyle
In an attempt to assist my desire to learn to cook, C got me several cookbooks for Christmas. I was still living on my own at the time, and while I appreciated the intention, I admit that these books were soon forgotten. They remained in the box in which they came, until I decided to use the box for something else. Then they found a home on the floor under my bed. When I looked through the recipes on the off chance that I felt domestic, I immediately decided I was not interested in the offerings simply because I didn't have the ingredients readily available.
After we moved in together, the books were unpacked and I remembered that they existed. However, on one of the first nights we were in our new apartment, we were hungry and didn't have much food around. I promptly decided I could make something for dinner, and began to exercise my mad cooking skills. I cast aside the idea of consulting a recipe, and instead whipped together some sautéed mushrooms, pasta and a 'brown butter sauce' (melted, burnt butter). I would provide a step-by-step analysis of the preparation of the ingredients... but I think anyone with a brain can figure that out.
Unfortunately my culinary excellence was not appreciated by either of us. We ate dinner, had way too much pasta left over, and threw most of the 'meal' away. This is Evidence A of my pitiful foreknowledge of anything related to food. Dear reader, do not think poorly of me, I promise that in future dishes I will bore you a little less.
Newb: 0 Food: 1
Newb: 0 Food: 1
♥ Ashley
Define: Newb
A term used to describe a inexperienced gamer/person/etc. Unlike a noob, a newb is someone who actually wants to get better.
Leet Player: Why is he just looking at the wall?
Other Player: I think hes a newb.
Other Player: I think hes a newb.
-Urbandictionary.com
It is no secret that prior to now, I was someone that could have been considered a 'lost cause' when it comes to producing edible things from the kitchen. I had lost all hope of ever becoming a housewife... well actually, I never had that hope. But I knew that it would never be possible. What I did eat, upon moving into a dwelling of my own, primarily came from cans and boxes, and never involved any more manual prep than boiling water. Often I even failed at this task - once I set my pasta on fire.
Moving in with my boyfriend, feeling completely useless when it came to doing my part at mealtime, inspired me to start trying my hand at, well, not failing. I have made several attempts already, some of them successful. Here I will document my wins and losses in the culinary world. Hopefully we will all make it out alive...
Tchuss ♥
Ashley
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