Lasagna Burgers January 5, 2010

I bookmarked this recipe from Rachael Ray’s magazine for a while now, and I am so glad I tried it!  It reminded me of the Pizza Burgers my mom used to make that I loved! 

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

One 14.5-ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes

1 handful basil leaves, shredded or torn

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, season the meat with plenty of salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for more even cooking. Drizzle with EVOO.
2. In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes; stir in the basil.
3. In large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until medium-rare, 7 to 8 minutes.
4. While the patties are cooking, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg, then cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano.
5. Spoon some red sauce on the roll bottoms, then top with the patties. Dollop the cheese sauce on the patties and set the roll tops in place.

Shrimp Pil Pil January 5, 2010

Mike also makes all shrimp dishes   He has made this one before and loves it – it is spicy, and everyone enjoyed it.  It is from Rachael Ray’s magazine:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)

Salt

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 loaf crusty bread, sliced

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper and paprika and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Season the shrimp with salt, add to the skillet and cook until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
2. Transfer the shrimp mixture to a bowl and serve with the bread.

Almond Encrusted Snapper January 5, 2010

I do not cook fish.  I know that destroys my chances of ever making it big on a cooking show ( HA!! Lol), but I don’t care.  I don’t eat fish, therefore I don’t cook fish.  Mike, however, loves fishing and fish, so when he wants fish , he cooks it   He made this on sunday, and we invited my family over and everyone loved this version!

3 pounds boneless, skinless snapper

1/2 cup unpeeled slivered almonds

1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 small bunch flatleaf parsley, coarse stems removed

Directions:
Rinse the fillets and pat them dry with paper towels.  In a food processor, combine the almonds, allspice, salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, and paprika. Pulse until finely ground, but do not overprocess or the nuts can become oily. In a shallow baking dish, spread out the nutspice mixture. Dredge the fillets in the mixture, one at a time, shaking off the excess.
In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over mediumhigh heat. Fry the fillets for about 3 minutes on each side, until light brown. With a slotted spatula, remove the fish to a warm platter or individual serving plates and scatter with the parsley sprigs

Cauliflower Gratin January 5, 2010

After the holidays , I feel like I gained 10 pounds, NO KIDDING!  Sunday was my last hoorah for bad eating, so I figured since I had a cauliflower in the fridge, I might as well make a Gratin LOL  It worked out perfect because I had half a cube of gruyere that I wanted to use up considering it is so expensive!!  This is from the Barefoot Contessa:

• 1 (3-pound) head cauliflower,  cut into large florets
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Cheddar Cheese Puffs January 5, 2010

As soon as I saw these on Pioneer Woman’s blog, I knew they would be perfect for New Year’s Day dinner!  And they were!  Everyone loved them, and I will for sure be making these again and freezing them!  They are just too easy!

• 1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
• ½ sticks Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Shallot, Minced
• 1-½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 8 ounces, weight Cream cheese, Sliced
• 1-½ cup Grated Cheddar cheese
• Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Preparation Instructions

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.

Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Christmas Party! December 29, 2009

We had a Christmas Party the night after Christmas – and it was so much fun to see all of our friends and family!  One of the appetizers I made again were the little fresh mozz, pesto, red pepper sandwiches that looks so festive!  Thanks to my 7 year old cousin Abby for the great pic   Here are just some of the pics from the night!

Christmas Eve December 29, 2009

Christmas Eve is always one of my favorite nights of the year!  This year, amongst MANY other things we had the easy spanikopita bites that I posted on my blog in the summer, and another version I whipped up with just phyllo dough, Fresh Mozz, Pesto, and Sundried Tomato – both were super Yummy!  Also pictured, the “girls” and “boys” on the stairs – notice how the boys never behave!  Merry Christmas everyone~!

Croquembouche! I did it! December 29, 2009

When I got my holiday issue of Food Network Magazine, I really wanted to make this.  When my sister pointed it out in the corner of the Griswold’s living room in Christmas Vacation, I REALLY REALLY wanted to make this.  I knew it would take a long time ( it did ) , I knew I would need help ( I got it! ) , I knew I would get burned by the scolding hot caramel  ( I did , and it STILL hurts ) , but it was all worth it!  So cute for your Christmas Eve Table!  Special Thanks to my Cousin Holly’s husband Nick for stirring the pot of caramel for 30 minutes ( or more! LOL )

• 2 cups water
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 8 to 10 eggs
• Filling, recipe follows
• Caramel, recipe follows

Filling:

• 4 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Caramel:

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.

Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 6 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add 1 or 2 more eggs, and mix until incorporated.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough in big kisses onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Whisk 2 eggs with 3 teaspoons of water. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash to knock down the points (do not use all the egg wash.) Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375-degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. The recipe can be made up to this point and frozen in plastic bags. Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.

Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and any flavorings if you want to make a different flavor like chocolate or coffee. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Poke a hole with a plain pastry tip in the bottom of each cream puff and pipe it full of the custard.

Caramel: Dissolve the sugar in a saucepan with the water. Boil to make a light golden caramel then dip the bottom of the pan in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Dip the sides of the puffs in the caramel and stick them together (approximately 20 cream puffs) in a circle, tops facing out. Make a second row on top of the first but a bit smaller to draw the circle in and create a tower of cream puffs. Check it from all sides occasionally to make sure it’s straight. When it’s finished, drizzle it with caramel all over.

Chicken and Artichoke Stuffed Shells December 29, 2009

I needed a recipe I could assemble ahead of time , and this was was great!  It was perfect for the couple days before Christmas where everyone is rushing around.  This recipe is from the blog Cara’s Cravings, and she made them into cannelloni.  I used shells instead of cannelloni, because I had alot of them in the pantry , and they still turned out great!

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
3 oz frozen spinach, thawed
2 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg white
1 oz grated pecorino romano cheese
salt & freshly ground pepper
12 large shells , cooked.
1 cup tomato basil pasta sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, then transfer to a medium sized bowl.

Squeeze excess water from the spinach and add to the onions, along with the chopped chicken and artichokes and the parsley. Stir together the ricotta cheese, egg white, and pecorino, and combine with the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread a thin layer of sauce in a baking dish. Stuff Shells until full. Carefully place in the baking dish.
Spoon the rest of the sauce over the shellsi in the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for about 25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Mike’s Gingerbread House December 29, 2009

Every year Mike makes a gingerbread house – I think this one was his best yet! LOL – here is the picture of it and the one outside our house!   Hope everyone had a great Christmas!