Pasta e fagoli (pasta and bean soup) from Mario

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  • 2 tablespoons butter?
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (plus more for garnish)
  • 1000x400-q80_6ec2fc22392b70edf51cfc41c4cbd0b91 medium Spanish onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 cups veggie stock
  • 3 cups cooked barlotti beans or kidney beans (rinsed and drained if canned)
  • 2 cups dried pasta scraps from making fresh pasta (or broken dried fettucini)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Parmigiano (for garnish)

In a Dutch oven, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the parsley and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is browned and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the veggie stock and beans and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the pasta and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the soup among six serving bowls. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and garnish with more parsley and grated Parmigiano.

 

Magic Cake from jocooks.com

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  • 4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature
  • magic-cake-1-11 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
  • 125 g (1 stick or ½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
  • 115 g (4 oz or ¾ cup) of all purpose flour
  • 500 ml (2 cups) milk lukewarm *
  • powdered sugar for dusting cake
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper so that it’s easier to get the cake out.
  2. Separate the eggs and beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two after which you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
  3. Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together.
  4. Add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until stiff peaks form.
  5. Add the egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold them in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to whisk them in to the cake batter, this is a lot faster and easier. Make sure you don’t fold the egg whites in completely, you still want to see some of the white bits floating at the top.
  6. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.
  7. Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.
* To get the milk lukewarm I usually warm it in the microwave for about a minute.

The baking time can vary greatly for this cake. I’ve baked this cake in 3 different ovens and I’ve always needed different times which were from 40 to 70 minutes. The oven I have right now only requires about 45 minutes to get a nice golden color on the cake, whereas other ovens I’ve used required the full 70 minutes. Test if after 40 minutes to see what it looks like. The cake is done when it only jiggles slightly but feels firm to touch.

 

Diana Henry’s Lemon & Lavender Cake

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  • Unsalted butter, for the cake pan
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar809a9372-ad53-45c8-8fbf-e7423c960594-2016-0910_lemon-lavender-cake_james-ransom-132
  • 3/4 tablespoon edible dried lavender
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4t easpoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup mild-flavored olive oil
  • Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Confectioners’ sugar, to dust
  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch diameter, 2 1/2-inch deep cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Put the granulated sugar and lavender into a food processor and whizz until the lavender has broken down. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl. Stir in the lavender sugar. In a pitcher, mix the eggs with the yogurt and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually stir in the wet ingredients. Add the lemon zest and juice, but don’t over-mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake is coming away from the inside of the pan and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn it out, peel off the paper, and set on a wire rack until cold. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving and decorate with sprigs of fresh lavender.

 

Celery Soup from bon appetite

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  • 1 head celery, celery-soup-940x560stalks chopped, leaves reserved
  • 1 large waxy potato, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 cups low-sodium veggie broth
  • ¼ cup fresh dill
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) and olive oil (for serving)
  • Combine celery, potato, onion, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, 8–10 minutes. Add broth; simmer until potatoes are tender, 8–10 minutes. Purée in a blender with dill; strain. Stir in cream. Serve soup topped with celery leaves, sea salt, and oil.

 

Shakshuka from seriouseats.com

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  • 3 tablesp20160926-shakshuka-17-thumb-1500xauto-434268oons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large red pepper (bell pepper for milder heat, or a hotter variety, such as red horned pepper, depending on your heat preference), stems, seeds, and ribs removed, thinly sliced
  • 1 fresh small hot chili (such as jalapeño, serrano, or Fresno), stems, seeds, and ribs removed, thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (15g) sweet Hungarian or smoked Spanish paprika
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) whole or ground cumin seed
  • 1 (28-ounce; 800g) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by squeezing between your fingers or with a pastry blender (see note above)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Large handful minced cilantro, parsley, or a mix
  • 6 eggs
  • Sliced oil-cured black olives, feta cheese, or artichoke hearts, for serving (all optional)
  • Crusty bread, for serving

  1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or straight-sided sauté pan over high heat until shimmering. Add onion, red pepper, and chili and spread into an even layer. Cook, without moving, until vegetables on the bottom are deeply browned and beginning to char in spots, about 6 minutes. Stir and repeat. Continue to cook until vegetables are fully softened and spottily charred, about another 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add paprika and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately add tomatoes and stir to combine (see note above). Reduce heat to a bare simmer and simmer for 10 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in half of cilantro or parsley.

  2. Using a large spoon, make a well near the perimeter of the pan and break an egg directly into it. Spoon a little sauce over edges of egg white to partially submerge and contain it, leaving yolk exposed. Repeat with remaining 5 eggs, working around pan as you go. Season eggs with a little salt, cover, reduce heat to lowest setting, and cook until egg whites are barely set and yolks are still runny, 5 to 8 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro or parsley, along with any of the optional toppings. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Ann Marotto’s Fresh Tomato Pie

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  • FOR THE PASTRY
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • FOR THE FILLING
  • About 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
  • 2 to 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thick and evenly
  • 1 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese
  • About 8 basil leaves, stacked, rolled and cut crosswise into very thin slices (julienne; about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Kosher or coarse sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Have ready an ungreased 9-inch pie plate or fluted quiche

For the pastry: Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the mixture until it comes together as a smooth dough, with the butter well incorporated. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. note: play around with this maybe use food processor for butter and flour and then add cottage cheese and pulse, don’t think mine dough was incorporated enough.

On a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of wax paper, roll out the dough slightly larger than the pie plate or quiche pan and press the dough into the plate or pan. Prick the bottom with the tines of a fork, cover loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and pour ceramic pie weights or dried beans evenly on the foil. Bake for 8 minutes, then carefully remove the weights or beans and the foil, and bake for 2 minutes. (At this point, the crust will not be fully baked.) Cool.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the bottom of the cooled pie shell with a thin, see-through coating of the mustard. Layer the tomato slices, Swiss cheese, basil and parsley, seasoning each layer lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top; bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve warm.

 

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

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1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)
1 can green chilies
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup yellow corn
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup veggie  broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute jalapeno pepper and garlic in hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.  or start with green chilies

Stir black beans, tomatoes, yellow corn, quinoa, and veggie broth into skillet; season with red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover the skillet with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed, about 20-35 minutes. Stir avocado, lime juice, and cilantro into quinoa until combined.

Linguine with clam sauce from saveur

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7-sav150-111-clamlinguine-750x750
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 1⁄4 lb. littleneck clams, cleaned
1⁄3 cup dry white wine
1⁄2 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
1 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente, plus 1⁄2 cup cooking water, reserved
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
Crusty Italian bread, for serving
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add clams, wine, and chile flakes, cover immediately, and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until clams open, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer clams to a cutting board, letting them drain back into the skillet as you remove them, and remove meat from shells; roughly chop meat and return to skillet. Add pasta, reserved pasta water, parsley, and salt and pepper, and toss until pasta is heated through, about 2 minutes. Add butter, and toss until melted; serve immediately with bread.
variation: if you dont have fresh clams
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice
1/4 cup clam juice

Fresh and Wild Mushroom Stew from NY Times

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  • 1 ½ pounds crecipes-wildmushroomstew-master675ultivated brown mushrooms, like shiitake, cremini or portobello
  • ½ pound pale wild mushrooms, like chanterelle (or use King trumpet or oyster)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1 teaspoon chopped sage or rosemary
  • Pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 small ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Porcini broth, heated, or use chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

    Clean mushrooms, keeping colors separate, and trim tough stems. (Save stems for stock.) Slice mushrooms about 1/8-inch thick.In a wide skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

    Add 1 more tablespoon oil and turn heat to high. Add brown mushrooms, season lightly and stir-fry until nicely colored, about 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add thyme, sage, red pepper and tomato paste. Add tomatoes, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Season again with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour, stir to incorporate and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in reserved onions.

    Add 1 cup mushroom broth and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Gradually add 1 more cup broth and cook for 2 minutes. Sauce should have gravy-like consistency; thin with more broth if necessary. Adjust seasoning. (May be prepared to this point several hours ahead and reheated.)

    Just before serving, put butter and 1 tablespoon olive in wide skillet over medium high heat. When butter begins to brown, add chanterelles, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 2 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown. Add garlic and parsley, stir to coat and cook 1 minute more. Add chanterelles to brown mushroom mixture and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Accompany with polenta or pasta if you wish.