Author: bridgete

Categories
Soup Vegetarian

Curried Cauliflower Soup

  • 1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into florets, or about 6 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 onions, sliced 1-inch thick
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika or chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup yogurt or labnne (optional; adjust to suit tastes)
  1. Preheat oven to 450° F. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread out and roast until the florets turn brown, about 25 minutes. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crispiest florets for garnish.
  2. Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in spices, cauliflower, water, and broth; cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
  3. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until a desired consistency is reached. Stir in yogurt or labne if using. Season with salt and pepper and serve in bowls, garnishing with the reserved cauliflower florets.
Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Cauliflower Patties

  • 1 large cauliflower (washed & trimmed into bite size pieces)
  • 3 shallots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 small garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
  • 3 large organic eggs
  • 1 handful Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded low moisture mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup (or more if needed) unbleached baking flour
  • 1/4 cup (or more if needed) whole milk
  • 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Light olive oil (for cooking)
  1. Place a large stockpot filled with water to boil on the stove top. Once it comes to a full boil, add the prepared cauliflower and cook until tender, but not too mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside to cool.
  2. Saute the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft and fragrant; do not brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Break the cooked cauliflower pieces down into very small pieces using your hands or a knife. The cauliflower needs to be solid enough to taste and create texture, but not so large as to not allow the patties to cook properly.
  4. Add the eggs, cooked shallots and garlic to the bowl of cauliflower and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix this well and add some flour and milk to begin creating a batter-like consistency (start with 1/4 cup of each and add more as needed; adjust to get the desired consistency.)
  5. Add the grated cheese, shredded mozzarella and chopped fresh parsley to the mix and blend well until combined. Again, test the thickness here and adjust accordingly adding flour and milk until you are satisfied.
  6. NOTE: The mixture for these patties is a bit of trial and error as it needs to resemble a very thick pancake batter without being too dry or worse, too thin and runny.
  7. Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat and add drizzle of the light olive oil and test the mixture by spooning a small pattie into the skillet and watch how it cooks and holds its shape.
  8. Use your spatula to press and form the pattie in the skillet as it cooks to make sure it maintains shape and cooks through. Adjust your heat and resist the urge to flip too soon, allow the pattie to cook until light golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each side depending on your stove) before you flip them.
  9. Continue forming and cooking the patties, adding more light olive oil as you go. Remove the cooked patties to a large flat platter to cool (do not overlap them until cooled.) Taste the first patties and adjust your salt and pepper seasoning for the remaining batter, if needed.
  10. I love to serve these after letting them cool as they are much more flavorful at room temperature. These are the ideal hostess side dish (plan to make these during the upcoming holidays) that you can make ahead.
  11. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator and simply deliver them to your host and let them come back to room temperature before serving.
Categories
Pasta Shrimp

Creole Crawfish Baked Ziti

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil3 tablespoons flour
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper (green or red), diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 3 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 15 oz. containers seafood stock (such as Bar Harbor)
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 can diced tomato (14.5 oz.)
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere)
  • 10 ounces queso melt (1 tub)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 pound crawfish tails (typically in the freezer section)
  • 1 pound ziti
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Queso Dip

  • 1/2 cup grated jalapeno cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack cheese
  • 1 cup grated white American cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated white queso cheese
  • 1/2 cup half and half or whole milk

Add cheeses and half of the half and half or milk to the double boiler over low heat. Stir as the cheese melts and add more of the half and half or milk until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. The cheese sauce should be thin, but still thick enough to coat a chip when dipped. Serve immediately or pour into a small slow cooker on the warm setting to serve.

Creole Seasoning

  • 4 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 4 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or less if you don’t want it as hot)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place all of the spices in the food processor or blender. Pulse until you get a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard until ready to use. For optimal flavor use within 2 months. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Baked Ziti recipe

  1. Bring queso dip to room temperature. Defrost the crawfish tails (if frozen).
  2. In a medium stock pot, heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Make a roux by adding 3 tbsp flour to the oil and stir the flour; cook and stir constantly (this is important otherwise your flour might burn), about 4 minutes (enough to cook out the raw flavor but keeping the color light).
  3. Add the onion and the white part of the green onion, bell pepper and celery; cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to fully incorporate into the roux. Cook another 2 – 3 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Slowly add the stock and stir to fully incorporate the flour. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes to allow to thicken. Add the half and half and the diced tomato and continue to stir. Add 1 ½ tsp creole seasoning, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Stir in the crawfish and any liquid, the queso cheese and lime juice. Simmer for a few minutes until the crawfish are heated through (go ahead, have a taste!). Taste and adjust with the Creole seasoning to your liking. You shouldn’t need additional salt beyond the spice seasonings. The spice mix has its fair share of salt.
  6. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, a little at a time. Stir until melted. Stir in the chopped parsley. Remove from heat and cover; allowing it to sit while cooking the pasta.
  7. Preheat oven to 375°F
  8. Boil pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water until about halfway cooked (about 2/3 of recommended cooking time). Drain the pasta. (Save about ½ cup of the pasta water, just in case you need something to thin out the pasta and you don’t feel you have enough sauce. It’s easy enough to just toss it if you don’t need it).
  9. In a large bowl, combine the pasta with about 2 ½ cups of the crawfish sauce with all of the crawfish tails. It should be loose with some sauce pooled on the bottom, but not soupy. The pasta will absorb liquid as it bakes. Add additional sauce (or pasta water) to thin it if it looks dry. Scrape the pasta into a large casserole dish (or foil baking pan for an easy clean-up). Spread 1 cup of sauce over the top and sprinkle about ¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
  10. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until you start to see some bubbling around the edges. Remove foil and bake additional 5 – 10 minutes until bubbling on the sides and the cheese is browning. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.
  11. Garnish with parsley and green onion. Heat any remaining sauce and serve with the pasta along with more Parmesan cheese.
Categories
Vegetarian

Stuffed Romano peppers with ricotta and mascarpone

  • 6 Romano peppers (650g)
  • 200g ricotta
  • 100g mascarpone or cream cheese
  • 40g pine nuts, lightly toasted  
  • 10g fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1 tsp juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil  
  • 1 tsp best-quality balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small green chilli, cut into paper-thin slices
  • Salt and black pepper
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. 
  2. Use a little knife to make a small vertical incision – about 6 centimeters long – from the top towards the end of each pepper. You will use this incision to scoop out the seeds later. Arrange the pepper on a roasting tray and place in the oven for 30 minutes, until soft. Remove and set aside to cool before using a small spoon to carefully extract and discard the seeds. The aim is to leave the stem on the peppers when they are stuffed so take your time here: it’s a fiddly job. Peel the skin off the peppers – again, don’t rush here – and set aside on a kitchen paper-lined plate to dry. 
  3. To make the filling place the cheeses, nuts, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Add half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper and whisk well. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each pepper and press evenly inside. Don’t worry if the incision increases in the process: you can use your hands to seal the pepper. 
  4. Wipe the peppers clean and place them on individual serving plates. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil around each pepper and then dot the oil with a few drops of the balsamic. Sprinkle over a few slices of the green chilli and serve.
Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Ricotta hotcakes

  • 225g ricotta
  • 3 tbsp parmesan, grated
  • 125ml milk
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 80g self-raising flour
  • 40g butter, for frying
  • For the topping:
  • 150g cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil 
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ½ clove garlic, crushed
  • ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 50g baby spinach leaves
  • 2 tbsp basil leaves, shredded
  • 30g pine nuts, toasted and chopped
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Cut the tomatoes in half and toss them in a bowl with half the oil and some salt and pepper. Arrange skin-side down on an oven tray and bake for an hour, until the tomatoes have lost much of their moisture.
  2. About 20 minutes before the tomatoes are ready, start on the hotcakes. Combine the cheeses, milk and egg yolks in a large bowl, stir in the flour and a quarter teaspoon of salt, and mix to a uniform batter. Pour the egg whites into a separate bowl and whisk until foamy but not totally stiff; fold into the ricotta mix.
  3. Heat half the butter in a large, nonstick frying pan. Drop in two to three tablespoons of batter per pancake and use the back of the spoon to help shape them into round pancakes roughly 1cm thick and 10cm in diameter. Cook for a minute or two on each side, until golden. Keep warm and repeat with the remaining batter.
  4. Mix the remaining oil, garlic, vinegar and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the spinach and, using your hands, toss gently. Serve two pancakes per person, topped with the spinach salad and tomatoes, and finished off with a sprinkling of fresh basil and pine nuts. Serve at once.
Categories
Vegetarian

Asparagus with mushrooms and poached egg

  • 24 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed and discarded
  • 120g unsalted butter
  • 6 large portobello mushrooms, sliced horizontally into 2mm-thick rounds
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 5g thyme sprigs
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 10g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
  • 4 eggs, poached just before serving
  • ½ tsp truffle oil
  1. ring a large pan of salted water to a boil and blanch the asparagus for three to four minutes, until al dente. Strain, refresh under cold water and set aside.
  2. Melt half the butter in a large saute pan on a medium heat. Add half the mushrooms, garlic and thyme, plus a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and fry for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown at the edges and cooked. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, and repeat with the remaining butter, mushrooms, garlic and thyme, seasoning again. Once all the mushrooms are cooked, keep them warm.
  3. Leave any excess butter in the pan and, on a medium heat, gently saute the asparagus and tarragon with a pinch of salt for a minute, tossing a few times, just to warm through. Divide between four plates, then lay the mushroom discs over the spears. Scatter over the garlic and thyme and top with a poached egg. Drizzle over any butter from the pan, add a grind of pepper and a few drops of truffle oil, and serve at once.
Categories
Fish

Lebanese Fish with Herby Tahini Sauce Over Rice

For the tahini sauce (about 1 1/4 cups) and the rice:

  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic (if you really like the garlic the way I do, add another clove)
  • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • 3/4 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup to 3/4 water (the water is extremely variable, depending on the brand of tahini and is used to thin the sauce out to a thick creamy consistency)
  • 1 pinch Salt, or to taste
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rings
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts

For the fish and the assembly:

  • 2 pounds fish filet (firm, white-fleshed fish like halibut or hake recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pinch Salt and pepper, for seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 limes, quartered
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro or parsley, for optional garnish
  1. If you are not using cilantro to garnish the finished dish, then reserve a few sprigs of parsley to instead. Pulse the parsley and garlic together in a food processor and then add the tahini. Blend the garlic, parsley, and tahini well. Add the lemon juice and blend again, the tahini will seize up and become thick. Add a pinch of salt and begin to drizzle water in while the processor is running until the sauce thins out to a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice. Add more of each if needed
  2. Preheat the oven to as hot as it will go, 450 to 500° F. Clarify 4 tablespoons of butter by melting it gently and then removing the foam and reserving the pure fat. To a hot sauté pan, add the olive oil and onion slices with a pinch of salt. Stir quickly and cook over high heat until the onions are brown and caramelized. Drain and reserve. Fry the pine nuts in the clarified butter until they are golden. Drain and reserve. Set a pot of water on to boil and salt. When the water comes to a boil cook the rice in the water for 10 minutes, then drain.
  1. For the fish and the assembly:
  2. While the rice is cooking in the water, rub the flesh of the fish with the olive oil, season it with salt and pepper, and bake in the hot oven. When the rice is cooked and drained, toss it with two tablespoons of butter, the onions, and the pine nuts, reserving a few pine nuts and onions to garnish the fish with.
  3. Place the rice on a platter and top with the fish. Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of tahini over the fish and pass the rest tableside because people will want more. Garnish with some sprigs of cilantro, the reserved onions and the pine nuts, and place the lime slices around the edge of the plate. Serve warm or room temperature
Categories
Soup Vegetarian

Creamy Roasted-Broccoli Soup With Buttermilk and Spiced Pepitas Recipe

  • 2 pounds broccoli, stalk trimmed and heads cut into florets
  • 10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, crushed (about 4 teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 quarts stock
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons olive oil and spread in an even layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Transfer to oven and roast until broccoli is tender and browned, about 25 minutes.

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add roasted broccoli, buttermilk, and just enough stock to barely cover vegetables. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Working in batches if necessary, transfer vegetables and liquid to a blender. Starting on the lowest speed and gradually increasing to the highest speed, blend broccoli until a smooth puree forms. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons total olive oil while blender is running and return to a clean pot. Add as much of the remaining vegetable stock as necessary to thin to a creamy soup consistency. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, lower oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss pepitas with 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, cumin, mustard seed, and turmeric. Season with salt. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Scrape toasted spiced pepitas into a mixing bowl and stir in parsley, lemon zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Warm the soup, then spoon it into bowls. Top with spiced pepitas and some of their oil. Serve right away.

Categories
Pasta Vegetarian

Baked Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon

slat

  • 8 tablespoon butter cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
  • 2 c finely grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
  • pepper
  • 1 lb pasta
  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe trimmed then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 c cream
  • 1 small garlic clove minced
  • 6 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Heat the oven to 260c. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Place the butter in a 9-by-13-inch/3-quart pan or baking dish and transfer it to the oven to melt while the oven heats; remove it from the oven once it’s melted.

In a small bowl, stir together the panko, 1/4 cup Parmesan and the lemon zest. Add 1 tablespoon of the melted butter from the baking pan, stir until the panko is moistened with butter, then season with salt and pepper.

When the water’s boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. During the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli rabe. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli rabe.

Whisk the cream, garlic and pasta water into the melted butter in the baking dish until smooth. Add the remaining Parmesan in large handfuls, vigorously whisking until smooth and combined. Add the pasta, broccoli rabe and half the mozzarella. Taste, and season well with salt and pepper. Stir until very combined.

Top with the remaining mozzarella, then sprinkle evenly with the panko mixture. Bake until the mozzarella has melted and the panko is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Categories
Fish

Crispy Potato Galette with Smoked Fish and Dill Crème

  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for brushing
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons melted
  • 1/4 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon
  • 1/4 pound thinly sliced smoked sturgeon
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
  • Freshly snipped chives and caviar, for garnish

In a bowl, stir the crème fraîche with the shallot, dill and the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk the mixture until thickened, about 30 seconds.

Preheat the oven to 425°. On a box grater, coarsely shred the potatoes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. In a bowl, combine the potatoes with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter and season with salt and pepper.

In a small nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add half of the potatoes and pat them into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden, 3 minutes per side. Transfer the potato galette to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and potatoes. Bake the galettes for 10 minutes, until cooked through and crisp; transfer to a platter and let stand for 15 minutes.

Spoon the shallot-dill crème onto the galettes and top with the smoked fish. Lightly brush the fish with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and caviar. Serve right away.