This onion crema is fabulous. Just delicious. It would be wonderful as a sauce under (or drizzled over) vegetables.
Preheat oven to 400F for about 45 minutes.
Don’t peel, drizzle with a little olive
Terry used 3 onions about the size of a baseball, then added about 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil and a good hit of salt to the VitaMix with the onions.
Buzz until very smooth.
Depends on the texture you want.
This is such a good technique Terry’s going to try it with other vegetables.
1/2 cup mayonnaisePlace mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and chipotles in jar of a blender. Puree until smooth and chipotles are completely chopped. Pour into an airtight container, cover, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
In a skillet over medium high heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Sauté the mushrooms until tender and caramelized. This could take a while, so don’t rush the process! Once the mushrooms are caramelized, you might have some sticky bits at the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with a bit of water.
Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a mixing bowl and add the scallion, crushed red pepper flake, Parmesan, ricotta cheese, egg, and salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble, use a bit of water to dampen the edges of each wonton wrapper, and add a teaspoon of filling to the middle.
Fold in half diagonally so you get a triangle. Make sure there aren’t any air bubbles in the middle, and that the edges are tightly sealed.
Bring the two farthest corners of the triangle together to make a pseudo “tortellini” shape. Continue assembling until you’ve run out of filling.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the tortellini. In a skillet over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the panko and stir constantly until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add a couple tablespoons more oil to the skillet and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and cream, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes and add the soy sauces. Season with pepper.
By now, the water for the ravioli should be boiling. Cook the ravioli in the boiling water for 20 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to the sauce and simmer for another 60-90 seconds.
Serve immediately, garnished with your panko pangrittata and more scallions.
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.
By Jennifer Segal, adapted from Gourmet magazine
Servings: Makes 1-1/3 cups
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Combine cranberries, brown sugar, white sugar, water, orange juice, orange zest, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries start to pop, about 5 minutes. Press berries against side of pan with wooden spoon and continue to cook until berries have broken down and sauce thickens to a jam-like consistency, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Adjust consistency with water as needed. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Can be served cold or reheated.
10 oz. dried pasta of your choice (we used thin spaghetti)
olive oil
8 oz. shrimp, peeled, deveined, and thoroughly pat dry
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms (about 10-12), thinly sliced
1/3 cup white wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce (salt levels vary across different brands. Try to find a low sodium version)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil for your pasta. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, until the pan is almost smoking. Sear the shrimp just until opaque and crisp on the outside. Remove from pan and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and shallots. Sautee until beginning to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and caramelize, 5-7 minutes. If the pan is looking a little dry, add a bit more olive oil.
Boil pasta according to package directions, drain, and reserve a cup of pasta water. Deglaze the mushrooms with white wine and cook for another two minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the cooked pasta, soy sauce, and butter to the pan and toss until the butter is melted. Add the shrimp, parsley, and Parmesan, and give everything a final toss. Loosen it up with a bit of your reserved pasta water if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that soy sauce is quite salty, so you may not need any more salt at all), and serve. 4 servings
dmv note: I substituted red onion for shallots and button with cremini mushrooms for shitake.
ut 1 cup) dried mushrooms, preferably porcinis
This sauce is for the caramel lover. It’s equally wonderful over ice cream, cake, or apple pie. It is just thick enough when hot, but not clumpy or sticky as it cools on the plate. Don’t be afraid of making caramel. If you follow the simple but important Pointers for Success below, it will be easy. Do be sure when making it not to have any small children about and give it your undivided attention. Caramel burns are extremely painful.
1 cup sugar (7 ounces = 200 grams)
1 tablespoon Lyle’s Golden Syrup (refiner’s syrup) or corn syrup (0.75 ounce = 21 grams)
1/4 liquid cup water (2 ounces = 60 grams)
1/2 liquid cup heavy cream, heated (4 ounces = 116 grams)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (1 ounce = 28 grams)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
EQUIPMENT
A heavy saucepan, at least 5-cup capacity, ideally with a nonstick lining
In the saucepan, stir together the sugar, syrup, and water until the sugar is completely moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring completely and allow it to boil undisturbed until it turns a deep amber (380°F.). Immediately remove it from the heat and slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously.
Use a high-temperature heat-resistant rubber spatula, or a porcelain or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until smooth, scraping up the thicker part that settles on the bottom. If any lumps develop, return the pan to the heat and stir until they dissolve. Stir in the butter. The mixture will be streaky but become uniform after cooling slightly and stirring.
Allow the sauce to cool for 3 minutes. Gently stir in the vanilla extract.
For a decorative lacing effect, this caramel pours perfectly at room temperature. For the greatest precision, use a pastry bag with a small decorating tube or a reclosable bag with a small piece cut from one corner.
STORE
Room temperature, up to 3 days; refrigerated, at least 3 months. To reheat: If the caramel is in a microwave-safe container at room temperature, microwave it on high power for 1 minute, stirring twice. If cold, it will take a few seconds more. Alternatively, place it in a bowl in a pan of simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, until warm, about 7 minutes.
Understanding
Refiner’s or corn syrup helps to prevent the caramel sauce from crystallizing when stirred. It also lowers the caramelization temperature.
I adore the flavor of caramel, so I like to have as much depth of flavor as possible without any burnt flavor. I bring this caramel up to at least 380°F. for maximum flavor. The darker you make the caramel, the less sweet it will seem, but you risk burning it if you don’t have an absolutely accurate thermometer.
It’s best to have the cream hot and the butter at room temperature to avoid splattering when they are added to the hot caramel. Cold cream, however, speeds the cooling and is practical if you’re pressured for time — but it must be added very slowly.
I do not recommend using crème fraîche in place of heavy cream, as it does not decrease sweetness to any significant degree nor does it add interest of flavor.
Unrefined sugar, which contains a small amount of natural molasses — which caramelizes at a slightly lower temperature — provides a flavor that is deliciously reminiscent of butterscotch. The “impurities” in unrefined sugar can cause crysallization so if you use it, care must be taken not to stir the caramel too much.
Pointers for Success
• Most important: When making caramel, be careful to concentrate every moment. Sugar burns are extremely painful.
• Use refined sugar that is absolutely free of impurities, to prevent crystallization.
• To further prevent crystallization, do not allow any sugar crystals to get on the sides of the pan, and be sure to moisten all the sugar with the water. Stop stirring entirely as soon as it comes to a boil. If using a thermometer, be sure to rinse it and dry it if removing and reinserting in the syrup. If any sugar remains on the thermometer, it will cause crystallization.
• Use a pan that conducts heat well (such as unlined copper, aluminum, or anodized aluminum) so that cooking stops soon after it is removed from the heat. Alternatively, have ready a larger pan or sink partly filled with cold water to immerse the bottom of the pan. Do not use a pan with a tin or nonstick lining, as its melting point is below that of caramel.*
• To determine the color of the caramel, use an accurate thermometer or drop a bit of caramel on a white surface such as a porcelain spoon or plate. When making spun sugar, too light a caramel produces a ghostly effect, too dark produces a brassy color when spun.
• To prevent breakage, never put a thermometer used for caramel into water until completely cooled.
• Soaking utensils in hot water will remove hardened caramel.
• After the caramel is prepared, do not stir it too much, as this may eventually cause crystallization.
*There are some special pans, such as the Scanpan, from Denmark, with nonstick properties that can withstand the heat of caramel.
A sauce in spring green that goes with everything from asparagus to salmon to Easter hams and lambs (and the perfect place to put those leftover hard-boiled eggs). Adapted slightly from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook
Make a huge batch on Easter. Set it out on the table with your lamb or ham. The next day, spoon it over poached salmon. Bundle boiled new potatoes all up in it, then take them to work with you. Pool it on top of grilled chicken, or shrimp, or steak. Dunk spears of blanched asparagus. And radishes. And fennel.
There’s almost nothing you will cook for dinner this season (or the next) that you won’t want to cover in green sauce.
5 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
In a small saucepan over medium-high, cover ancho chiles with water and simmer until chiles are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a blender with jalapenos, garlic, sugar, molasses, ketchup, vinegar, and orange juice. Blend until mixture is smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.
COOK’S NOTE: To store, refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 5 days.