Category Archives: entree

creamy polenta with fricassee of mushrooms Scott Connant

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Creamy Polenta:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 ounces cornmeal, preferably coarse ground (about 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated grana padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives, optional

In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the cream and milk and heat over medium-high heat just until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Add the salt, and whisk the cream and milk until quite frothy.

Add the polenta and continue to whisk the mixture as it comes to a boil. Continue whisking for an additional 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook the polenta, stirring every 5 minutes or so (switch to a wooden spoon), until the cornmeal is completely cooked and quite tender, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. It may seem very thin initially, but it will gradually thicken. As the polenta cooks, a skin will form on the bottom and sides of pan (if you are not using a nonstick pan), which is proper and which gives the polenta a slightly toasty flavor.

Mushrooms:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
8 ounces mixed domestic and wild mushrooms, sliced or cut into naturally occurring pieces (about 2 cups)
Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup homemade chicken reduction, recipe follows, or purchased chicken reduction, diluted with water until a little thicker than chicken stock Use veggie stcok
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon preserved truffles (optional)

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until the shallots just begin to color on their edges. Add the mushrooms and crushed red pepper to taste and cook until the liquid is released. Add the chicken reduction, bring to a boil, reduce to a bubbling simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. (You can prepare the mushrooms ahead up to this point; reheat them over medium-high heat just before serving.)

Just before serving, stir in the butter, grana padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano and chives if using. The polenta should pour from the spoon as you serve it and will thicken as it cools. If necessary, you can thin the polenta with a little milk just before serving. Divide the polenta among heated bowls or plates.

Just before serving, reheat the mushrooms if necessary. Toss the mushrooms with the chives and preserved truffles. Spoon some mushrooms and some of the cooking juices over each serving of polenta.

Pierogi Lasagna, Michael Symon

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For pierogi dough:
1 large egg
¾ cup sour cream
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups flour, plus more for rolling dough

For lasagna:
2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup hot heavy cream
8 Tbsp cold butter, cubed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb bacon, chopped – do not use!
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1½ cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
1½ cups farmer’s cheese, shredded
Sour cream, for topping
Finely chopped chives, for topping

For pierogi dough:
Combine egg, sour cream, butter, chives, and salt with your hands in a bowl. Don’t worry if mixture is not uniform and, as with pie dough, don’t overwork it. Add flour and mix with your hands until a dough forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

For lasagna:
Put potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches cold water. Bring to a boil. Season water generously with salt. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until a knife easily pierces potatoes. Drain and return potatoes to same pot. Mash, slowly mixing in hot cream and cold butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Reduce heat to medium, toss onions into pan, and coat with bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and sweet. Let cool.

Butter a casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Roll pierogi dough out with a rolling pin to a ⅛-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 4-inch by 13-inch strips, re-rolling scraps as necessary. You will need 14 to 20 strips.

Have mashed potatoes, crisp bacon, caramelized onions, pasta strips, and cheeses ready on a work surface. Arrange 1 layer pierogi dough strips on bottom of buttered casserole dish, slightly overlapping edges of strips. Spread a ½-inch layer of potatoes on top of dough. Top with some caramelized onions, bacon, and a sprinkling of both Gruyère and farmer’s cheese. Repeat layers to use remaining ingredients. Finish with dough on top, followed by Gruyère and farmer’s cheese. Season top with pepper.

Cook until lasagna is bubbly and cheese on top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes and then serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.

Herb Crusted Fish, Gordon Ramsey

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4 large fillets of any good thick white fish
250 g cherry tomatoes
2 shallots
1 small bunch basil, plus extra to garnish
4-6 large slices of stale bread made into crumbs
150 g grated Parmesan
1 medium bunch parsley
500 g Jersey Royals, or other new potatoes
Small bunch mint
Butter
200 g green beans, topped
2 shallots finely sliced (to go with beans)
Olive oil
Sea salt

Place the fish fillets on a plate and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a hot pan and saute the fish for approximately 1 minute on each side, or until they are golden brown. Remove to rest on a baking tray.

In a blender, thoroughly mix all the herb crust ingredients together (bread, Parmesan and parsley), season and set aside.
To make the salsa, chop the tomatoes in half and finely slice the shallots.

Add a little more olive oil into the now empty fish pan, heat and add the tomatoes and shallots. Sweat them off together and season. Pick the basil leaves, roll them together and chop before adding to the tomatoes and shallots. Cook for a further 2 -3 minutes until the tomatoes are just beginning to break down.

Spoon the tomato salsa lightly over the fish, spreading it out evenly over the fillets. Next take your breadcrumbs and spoon them over the tomato. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the fish is cooked
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Scrub the potatoes and cut any larger ones in half. Bring to the boil in salted water and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, slice and set aside. Heat a little butter in a pan with a spoonful of water, roughly chop the mint leaves and add to the butter/water emulsion. Add the potatoes and saute until lightly golden.

Blanch the beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Saute the shallots in hot olive oil until soft. Drain the beans thoroughly and add to the shallots, saute for 2 -3 minutes
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Place the fillets in the centre of the plates, drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar around and serve with the potatoes and shallots. Garnish the fish with an extra pinch of basil.
Servings

Lazy Chiles Rellenos, Ree Drumond

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8 whole Roasted, Peeled, And Seeded Green Chiles
1-1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
5 whole Large Eggs
2 cups Whole Milk
Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne.
Cut chilies in half and add a single layer of chilies on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Top chilies with half the grated cheese.

Repeat with another layer of chilies and another layer of cheese.
Pour egg mixture all over the top.

Place into a larger baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Pour in 1/2 inch of water and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until completely set.

Cut into squares and serve with warm corn tortillas!

Warm Lentil and Potato Salad with a Garlicky Mustard Vinaigrette, smitten kitchen

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2 large shallots, 1 halved, 1 finely diced,
4 sprigs of thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 cup dry small green lentils (see Note up top for varieties)
1 small bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 pound fingerling potatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed to a paste (I use less)
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of your favorite olive oil
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed if salted, drained if brined, and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped
1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Cook lentils: Pick over and rinse lentils. Place them in a small/medium saucepan with the halved shallot, thyme branches, bay leaf, some salt and 4 cups of water. Simmer the lentils over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender. Drain (discarding shallot, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes: In a separate saucepan, cover potatoes with 1 to 2 inches cold water. Set timer for 15 minutes, then bring potatoes to a simmer. When the timer rings, they should be easily pierced with a toothpick or knife. Drain and keep warm.

Make the dressing: Place the chopped shallot and red wine vinegar in the bottom of a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in minced garlic, dijon, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and olive oil. Stir in chopped capers, cornichon and scallions.

Assemble salad: Slice potatoes into 1/2-inch segments and place in serving bowl. Add lentils, dressing and all but 1 tablespoon parsley and combine. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Scatter salad with remaining parsley.

Serve alone, with a soft-cooked egg on top, or as a side to a larger roast, chop or sausages. Reheat as needed. If you plan to make this at the outset of several meals and would like to eat it warm, I’d keep the dressing separate, warming only the lentils and potatoes and stirring in the cold dressing to taste.

Keeps in fridge for up to 5 days. Makes 4 lunch servings, 6 servings as a side dish

kale quinoa patties recipe

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2 ½ c cooked quinoa, cooled
4 c kale, cleaned, deveined, chopped small
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp sea salt
½ yellow onion, diced small
½ c chives, chopped
½ c Parmesan, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ c bread crumbs (use gluten free breadcrumbs to make this dish gluten free)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for frying
let’s do it

combine quinoa, eggs, Parmesan, chives and salt in medium mixing bowl
heat 2 tbsp olive oil in skillet on medium heat sweat onions and garlic, approximately 3 minutes
add kale to skillet cook until kale is bright green and soft
add kale mixture to quinoa
add breadcrumbs and stir to combine ingredients
place clean skillet on medium heat
add enough oil to coat bottom of pan
form patties using ½ c of quinoa mixture
place patties in skillet being careful not to splash hot oil
do not overcrowd the pan
fry until golden brown on each side, approximately 5 minutes per side
remove patties, drain on paper towel, and serve

Skillet Pizza by carla

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2 pounds Hot Italian Sausage; casing removed – use veggie sausage
2 pounds Pizza Dough
1 quart Basic Tomato Sauce Fresh Basil; to garnish

Sweet & Spicy Peppers:
3 Bell Peppers; red & yellow; thinly sliced
1 Fresno Chili (thinly sliced)
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Marjoram
Salt Freshly Cracked
Black Pepper

Cheese Blend:
1 pound Fresh Ricotta
1 1/2 pounds Fresh Mozzarella; grated
1 cup freshly Grated Parmesan
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Crispy Shallot: 1 cup Flour
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt; plus more as needed
5 Shallots; thinly sliced into rings Vegetable Oil; for frying

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Lightly grease a 10-12 inch cast iron pan with olive oil and place in oven to preheat.

In a large skillet or cast iron pan, brown the sausage until crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Roll out dough to 18 inches in diameter. Place into the preheated cast iron pan allowing the edges to fall over the sides. Add a few ladles of sauce and cover the bottom of the dough.

Add a layer of Cheese, Peppers, Sausage, Sauce and then more Cheese. Crimp the edges of the dough around the edges of the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until Cheese is bubbly and dough is cooked and golden.

Butternut Squash Stew With Pomegranate Salsa by the weekend vegetarian

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FOR THE STEW
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large onion, chopped
1-inch piece peeled ginger root, grated
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and chopped
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes, preferably low-sodium or no-salt-added, plus their juices
1 large carrot, scrubbed well and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Water (optional)
4 to 5 ounces baby spinach leaves, chopped (4 cups loosely packed)
15 ounces canned chickpeas, preferably no-salt-added, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon Tabasco, harissa or other hot sauce of your choice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALSA
1 cup pomegranate seeds
2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
12 mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the stew: Pour the oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom and cloves; sizzle them for a few seconds, then add the onion, stirring to coat. Cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until soft, 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the carrot, squash and enough water, if needed, to barely cover the vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the spinach, chickpeas, cilantro and hot sauce; season lightly to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook for just a few minutes, to wilt the spinach and heat the chickpeas through. Remove from the heat; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make the salsa: Stir together the pomegranate seeds, scallions, lime juice, mint and oil in a small bowl.

Serve the stew warm, with the salsa on top or served on the side. 6-8 servings; makes 8 cups

Mushroom Soup with Marsala, RR

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1/2 ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for frying bread, divided
1 pound cremini (baby Portobello) mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup marsala
Good quality white, peasant or Italian bread, sliced
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

In a medium pot, simmer the porcini mushrooms in the stock to soften, about 10 minutes.

In a soup pot, heat 1/4 cup EVOO over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to ripple, add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned and tender, 12-15 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaf and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Stir until the shallots soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the marsala, scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half.

Remove the porcini mushrooms from the stock, chop, then add to the pot. Pour the porcini stock into the soup pot, being careful not to add the last few spoonfuls where grit may have settled. Add 2 cups water to the pot and simmer until flavors combine, about 10 minutes. Season to taste.

In a skillet, heat a thin layer of EVOO over medium heat. Add the bread and cook until light golden and crisp.
Before serving, stir the parsley and lemon juice into the soup. Place a piece of fried bread in each soup bowl, sprinkle with a little cheese and top with soup.

Lentils and Mozzarella

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6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, scrubbed well then finely chopped
1 cup dried French du Puy lentils, rinsed
Fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh dill, chives, basil or mint, or a combination, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn into bite-size pieces
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
2 tablespoons slivered almonds (see NOTE; may substitute pine nuts)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the garlic, celery and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add the lentils, 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt and just enough water to cover. Increase the heat to bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat so it is barely bubbling around the edges; cook until the lentils are just soft, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain the lentils.

While the lentils are cooking, combine the mustard, vinegar, herbs, 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt, and pepper to taste in the bowl of a food processor or blender, or in a small mixing bowl. Drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of oil, pulsing or whisking by hand to form a vinaigrette. Taste, and add fine sea salt as needed.

Spoon the warm lentils onto plates. Top with the mozzarella, and sprinkle the cheese with coarse sea salt. Scatter the almonds over the mozzarella and lentils, and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Toast the almonds in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown and fragrant, shaking the pan to keep the nuts from scorching. Cool completely before using.

4 servings