Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Pear and Blue Cheese

  • 1 cup warm water201101-r-focaccia
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 large Bosc pear, cored and sliced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  1. In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast and honey and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and 1/4 cup of the oil; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and the salt and knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let stand for 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 10 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 450°. Oil a 9-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the sheet and press it down to fit. Dimple the dough all over with your fingers and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let the dough rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.
  4. Scatter the onions over the dough. Arrange the pear over the onions and sprinkle with the blue cheese. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the focaccia and bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve.

 

Farro and herb pilaf with sausage, mushrooms and spinach, whole foods

  • 23011 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cup farro
  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium veggie broth
  • 3 links faux sausage, removed from casings
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 cups cremini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons (way too much) chopped oregano, Next time try thyme

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add farro and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and farro is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up into small chunks with a spatula, until almost cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, toss well and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir parsley, oregano, salt and pepper into pot with farro, then spoon onto plates. Top with sausage-mushroom mixture and serve.

 

Mushroom Ragoût from nytimes

  • 1 ounce (abo16recipehealth-articleLargeut 1 cup) dried mushrooms, preferably porcinis
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots or 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound white or cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and quartered or sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed and brushed clean, or oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into pieces if very large
  •   Salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemaryor 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  •   Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  1. Place the dried mushrooms in a pyrex measuring cup or a bowl and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer and rinse until they are free of sand. Chop coarsely.
  2. Heat the olive oilover medium heat in a large, heavy skillet or a wide saucepan and add the shallots or onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then add the fresh mushrooms, rosemary and thyme, and turn up the heat slightly. Cook until the mushrooms begin to sweat, then add a generous pinch of salt. Stir for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat as the mushrooms continue to soften and sweat. Add the flour and continue to cook the mushrooms, stirring, until they have softened a little more and you can no longer see the flour, about 2 minutes. Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms and the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dried mushroom soaking liquid, bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth is thick, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper and the parsley, taste and adjust salt.

NOTE

  • Advance preparation: The ragoût can be made up to 3 or 4 days before you wish to serve it. Keep in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on top of the stove.

 

Apple Rutabaga Soup from Patrick O’Connell

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1 stick (1/4 pound) butter
1 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1 quart good chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper.

Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve.

Spicy Eggplant Pasta by Gena Hamshaw

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2 medium eggplants
1 medium onion
3 to 4 plum tomatoes or one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Fresh basil
1 pound linguine or other long pasta
Limes (1 per person)
Mint
Gin
Prosecco

We assume you have salt, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and sugar in your house. If not, add those to the list, too.

1. Stick as many glasses as you have drinkers in the refrigerator to chill. Next, cut the eggplants crosswise into 1 inch-thick slices, lay them on a baking sheet, salt well on both sides, and set aside for about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare all of your other ingredients. Chop 1 medium onion, mince 2 cloves of garlic, and, if you’re using fresh tomatoes, cut enough so that you end up with 2 cups. Chop 1/4 cup of fresh basil, then set all of these ingredients aside.

3. Next, preheat the oven to 425° F and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the eggplant, tossing the slices to coat them. Season them with salt and pepper, then roast for 20 minutes.

4. While the eggplant roasts, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the chopped onion and the minced garlic and sautée until the onions are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the fresh or canned tomatoes, oregano, 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes, and the chopped basil. Cook the sauce until it thickens, another 10 to 12 minutes, and stir it occasionally. When the eggplant in the oven is tender and browning, chop it into 1-inch pieces and add it to the sauce. Continue to simmer the sauce on low low heat.

5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.

6. As the pasta cooks, make your drinks. Juice as many limes as you have diners. For each person, you’ll also want 4 to 6 mint leaves and a tablespoon of sugar. Muddle the lime juice, mint, and sugar. Transfer to a cocktail shaker with ice and a shot of gin per person.

7. When the pasta is finished, drain it and gently fold it in the sauce. Top with additional chopped basil and red pepper flakes to taste. Complete your meal by pouring the gin mixture into your chilled glasses and topping each with Prosecco. Serves 4 to 6

Fish Tacos with Lime Crema, Cooking Light

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1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cilanto, chopped
3 tbsp. mayonnaise, fat-free
3 tbsp. sour cream, low-fat
1 tsp. lime zest
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. ground red chile
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs. red snapper filets
cooking spray
8 corn tortillas
2 cups cabbage, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.

2. Combine green onions, cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, salt and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Combine cumin, coriander, paprika, chile, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Break fish into bite-sized pieces.

4. Heat tortillas to soften. Divide fish evenly among tortillas. Top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tbsp of crema.

Notes:

I used Mexican crema instead of the mayonnaise and sour cream. Personally I would forget the mayonnaise and use about a 1/2 cup of sour cream thinned slightly with milk.

I didn’t have any cabbage and used red leaf lettuce instead. Just as good. I also added chopped red onion as a garnish.

As usual, I had a heavy hand with the spices.

Can use any mild white fish. Tilapia worked.

Adult Grilled Cheese: AKA GetInMyBelly inspired by Joy the Baker

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Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat with: 1 Tbs. olive oil
Slice into half-moons: 2 large onions

Add the onions to the skillet with:
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. salt

Cook the onions on medium heat for about 20 minutes, yes, 20. Patience. You want them to be really soft and golden brown (turn down to medium-low if they start to brown too quickly). Set aside until all your ingredients are ready to go.

In another skillet on high heat, sauté until dark brown and soft (set aside when done):
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

In a small bowl, mix together:
¾ c. part-skim ricotta cheese
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
1/3 c. chopped spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice and butter one side of good crusty bread.
Salted butter, softened
12 slices of bread

To assemble the sammies, spread a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on the unbuttered side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle on one side:
1 Tbs. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Thinly sliced fresh mozzarella to cover the bread in one layer

Top with some of the roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions. Close the sandwich up with your other piece of bread and brown the sandwich in a skillet on medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melty. Makes 6 sammies. Serve hot and enjoy!!!

 

Terry’s Dilled Potato Salad

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5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch dill
8 eggs
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper
1 large vidalia onion

1. Cook the potatoes in their skins until just tender. Cool, skin, and cut into cubes.

2. Coarsely chop the watercress and dill. Be mindful that if you chop dill too fine it tastes gritty. Combine the chopped hard cooked eggs. Adjust the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk to make a nice thin dressing. I like lots of salt and pepper. This is a very simple, very delicious potato salad. Perhaps one of my favorites. It just might be these  Yukon Gold potatoes. They are fabulous and are the only potato to use for mashed. Serving Size: 6

NOTES : This is the potato salad my friends always ask for when we have our annual crab feast.

Carrot-Ginger Dressing, Recipe By: Chef Tadashi Ono

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This vibrantly orange dressing—from our friend Chef Tadashi Ono—was made famous by Japanese-American steak houses. It gets its incomparably clean flavor from puréed carrot and fresh ginger. Serve it simply tossed with crisp iceberg lettuce.

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
2 medium carrots (about 8 oz.), peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz.), roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 head (about 1 lb.) lettuce, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces, for serving

Combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, carrots, and onion in a food processor, and process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Combine dressing and lettuce in a bowl, and toss until evenly coated; serve immediately. Unused dressing will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.  Yield: 4 cups

Cream of tomato soup, based on allrecipes.com recipe

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here’s my version
3 tbsp butter
3/4 small onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tbsp flour
6 – 8c tomato juice
3/4 tsp basil
salt and pepper
1 1/2 c milk or to taste
+/- 1/4 c heavy cream

melt butter in heavy dutch oven, add onions cook gently until translucent, add garlic and cook a few min more. Add flour cook for a min or two. Add tomato juice,salt, pepper and basil. Cook for 12-15 min. Add milk and cream, heat through. Serve with grated parm or romano and crackers.

NOTE:  I like my tomato soup smooth so I ended up running it through a sieve.