Pasta Fagioli

Pasta e fagioli means ‘pasta and beans’ in Italian.  It is often pronounced pasta ‘FA zool’ in America, but it is correctly pronounced pasta ‘FA jzoel ee’.  It is traditionally meatless.  However, I always make it with sausage or pancetta.  Like many other Italian-American favorites it started on the tables of poor immigrants as a filling dish made up of inexpensive ingredients.

Now Pasta Fagioli can be found in most Italian-American restaurants.  Every winter, I always make a big pot at least once a month.  It can be frozen and it tastes great the next day.  It also keeps you warm and fills you up.  Perfect on a cold day.

Servings: 6-8

Time:  Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a can opener, large soup pot, a wooden spoon

Ingredients:

• Olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot
• 1 small onion (½ cup)
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary (1 teaspoon dried)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (1½ teaspoon dried)
• ¾ pound Italian sausage (optional)
• 2-15 ounce cans white kidney beans
• 1-15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces ditalini pasta
• Salt & pepper

Pasta Fagioli
The ultimate comfort food

1. Roughly chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Drain the tomatoes.  Rinse and drain the beans.  Set aside.
2. Cover the bottom of the soup pot in oil and heat on medium high.  Remove the sausage from the casing, cook and crumble, until it’s no longer pink.  (7 minutes)
3. Add the fresh veggies and the herbs.  Sauté until the veggies are soft. (4 minutes)  Spoon off most of the fat.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes, and broth.  Bring to a boil. Lower and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Turn the heat back up to a boil and add the pasta.  Boil for 8 minutes and turn off the heat.  Remove the herb stems if you used fresh herbs.  Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.  Allow to sit for 3 minutes as the pasta will continue to cook.
6. Offer your guests hot sauce and crusty bread.  This taste great the next day.

Beef Chimichanga

Chimichangas are like deep fried burritos.  So yum!  The exact origin of the dish is unknown, but it is a favorite at Tex-Mex restaurants and our house.  You can stuff a chimichanga with anything. Instead of beef tips you could use cooked ground beef, shredded chicken, or shredded pork.  Instead of rice, you could stir in diced boiled potatoes. I used rice, because I had some leftover.  I have even had chimichangas filled with meat, peas, and carrots-sort of like a Tex-Mex pot pie. You could even omit the meat and double the beans if meat isn’t your thing.

Servings: 6

Time:  Prep: 15 minutes   Cooking:  20-30 minutes
Hardware:  A cutting board and knife, measuring spoons and cups, 1 large bowl, a large spatula, tongs, toothpicks, a paper towel covered plate, a deep skillet

Beef Chimichanga

Ingredients

• 6 extra-large flour tortillas (I used El Banderito)
• 1 pound beef tips
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeño (optional)
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• ½ cup beef stock
• 1-15 ounce can refried beans
• ½ cup prepared rice
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup of your favorite salsa (I used Frontera Chipotle Salsa)
• Salt & pepper
• Oil for frying

1. Remove the tortillas from the fridge and allow them to rise to room temperature.
2. Chop the onion, garlic, and seed and chop the jalapeño.
3. Cover the bottom of the deep skillet in oil and heat over medium high.  Add onion, garlic, jalapeño and sauté until the onions are transparent, about 3-4 minutes. 
4. Add the beef tips and cook, stirring often until the beef is just browned, about 5-6 minutes.  Be careful to not overcook as the tips will get tough.  Add the cumin, chili powder, and salt & pepper.  Stir until there are no lumps.  Add the beef stock and bring to a boil.  Immediately remove from the heat.
5. Stir in the can of beans and the cooked rice.  Taste and adjust the salt & pepper. Place in a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
6. Wash the deep skillet and fill it half way up with oil. Turn the heat to medium
7. Only make two tortillas at a time because they will get soggy.
8. Off center of the tortilla spoon on  1/6 of the meat mixture.  Fold the burrito over the mixture and tuck in the two side ends.  Continue rolling until you have a secure package.  You may need to use a toothpick to secure the seam.  I have found that if you roll carefully, you don’t.
9. Place the chimichangas seam side down into the oil.  I find this is easiest to do with a wide spatula.  Do not crowd them.  You may need to cook them in batches.  Fry the chimichangas until they are golden brown. Flip them and fry until the other side is browned, as well.
10. Place the chimichangas on the paper towel covered plate and keep warm on the lowest setting in the oven.
11. Chop and seed the tomatoes.  To plate make a bed of shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.  Place the chimichanga on the lettuce.  Sprinkle with cheese and top with salsa and sour cream.  Serve right away.

Beef Chimichanga

Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are so very 90s, but they have been around much longer than that.  Italian restaurants began serving them as a delicacy as early as the beginning of the 20^th century. They probably evolved from the Italian tradition of stuffing zucchini blossoms, a tradition which strangely hasn’t taken hold.  Eventually everyone and his brother was serving them.  And just like everything that becomes popular, stuffed mushrooms have become passé.

But just because something is no longer cool, doesn’t mean it isn’t still wonderful.  I like stuffed mushrooms.  They taste good, they look pretty, they actually are finger food, and they can be started early and finished up later.  Usually stuffed with cheese and breadcrumbs, mushrooms can be stuffed with anything.  I love them stuffed with spicy Italian sausage.  One day, I’ll prepare mushrooms stuffed with crab, but for now-enjoy.

Servings:  24 mushrooms

Hardware: Measuring spoons and cups, knives and a cutting board, a slotted spoon, a large spoon, 2 bowls, a mixing bowl, a gallon plastic bag, a food processor/chopper, a skillet, a baking sheet
Time: Prep-15 minutes, Cook-45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon + more olive oil
• 24 stuffing mushroom caps
• ¾ pound spicy Italian sausage
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion
• 4 baby bells or ½ a large bell pepper
• 1 small carrot
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• ¼ + 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• Salt & Pepper

Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Clean the mushrooms.  Remove the stems.  Use the large spoon to remove the mushrooms’ gills to make more space for stuffing. Set the caps aside. Heat the skillet over medium high. Add just enough oil to cover the bottom. Add the mushroom stems and gills. Sauté them until they are lightly browned (5-7 minutes).  Put the browned stems in the small bowl and set aside.
3. Wipe out the skillet and add just enough oil to cover the bottom again.  Remove the sausage from its casing and cook until it is browned (7-10 minutes).  Use the slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan.  Set the pan aside but do not clean.
4. Add the onion, stemmed and seeded peppers, cooked mushrooms, and garlic to the food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Return the skillet to medium high heat and sauté the veggie mixture for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt & pepper.
5. Put the sausage in the food processor and pulse until it is the same consistency as the veggies.
6. Mix the veggies, sausage, bread crumbs and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese together.
7. Place the mushroom caps, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon or so of olive oil in the plastic bag.  GENTLY toss the mushrooms so that they are completely covered in oil.
8. Use the large spoon to stuff the mushroom caps. You can really pack the stuffing down and allow it to heap up on top of the caps.  (At this point you can cover the mushrooms in plastic wrap, place them in the fridge, and finish up later.)
9. Place each stuffed mushroom onto the baking sheet.
10. Sprinkle the remaining cheese onto the stuffed caps. Bake for 30 minutes or until the stuffing is set and the caps are beginning to shrink.

Serve warm.

Butternut Squash Gratin

‘Au gratin’ usually refers to a cooking method that creates a crispy crust on top of the dish.  It can also refer to the dish itself.  The most familiar is probably Potatoes au Gratin, which is layers of potatoes, cheese, and cream baked until the potatoes are soft and a crunchy crust has formed on top.  Thinking about it, I suppose that Baked Macaroni & Cheese is technically ‘au gratin’ as it is baked and forms a crust.  But really you can cook almost any vegetable this way.

I decided to try Butternut Squash au Gratin because butternut squash are in season and crispy, crunchy, crust,-what’s not to love?  Acorn squash, buttercup squash, or even pumpkin could be used with this recipe.  Just adjust the cooking times.  I used rosemary because I have a rosemary bush (small tree) outside my back door.  You could substitute thyme, tarragon, or savory for the rosemary. You could also use onion instead of shallot.

However, if you decide to follow this recipe exactly, you will not be disappointed. All of my recipes are original and I have cooked all of them from scratch, following only my self-taught knowledge of cooking techniques and my taste buds. Therefore, most of the time the first and often the second try is if not inedible then in need of tweaking.  My husband has eaten many (many, many) of my mistakes.  This recipe was delicious the first time.  My grandmother used to say, “It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up.”  Allow me to humbly say, “Yum.”

Butternut Squash Gratin

Servings: 6-8

Time:    Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 1 hour
Hardware: Cutting board and large knife, measuring cups, a veggie peeler, a large spoon, a large pot, a colander, a large skillet that can be used on the stove top and in the oven (cast iron works great), a wooden spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
• 4 cups broth (you can use vegetable or chicken)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 shallot (not more than ¼ cup)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ + ¼ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ + ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Half & Half
• Salt & Pepper

1. Put the broth on to boil.
2. Cut about ½ inch off both ends of the squash.  Peel it.  Being very careful, cut the squash in half.  Using the large spoon remove the squash’s seeds.  Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes.
3. Put the squash cubes and 2 sprigs of the rosemary in the boiling broth. Simmer until the squash is easily pierced with a knife, but isn’t falling apart. You want it to still be a little firm. This will take about 15-20 minutes. Drain the squash, reserving ⅔ cup of the liquid.  Discard the boiled rosemary.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
5. Dice the shallot and garlic.  Remove the remaining rosemary from the 3^rd sprig and mince.
6. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot, garlic, and minced rosemary.  Sauté, stirring often, until the shallot is translucent, about 4 minutes.
7. Add the squash to the skillet with the shallots.  Lightly salt and generously pepper the squash.  Turn the heat to medium high and add the reserved liquid.  Gently simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes, stirring just enough to keep everything from sticking.
8. Stir ¼ cup of the crumbs and ¼ cup of the cheese into the squash.  Pour the Half & Half over the squash.  Top with the remaining crumbs and cheese. Salt & Pepper again.
9. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top of the squash has formed a golden brown, crunchy crust. You can turn on the broiler for 2-3 minutes to really create a crispy crust, but be careful and keep a watchful eye on your dish as there is a fine line between toasty goodness and charred awfulness.
10. Serve warm.

Slightly sweet, slightly savory, very tasty

Beef Wellington

My husband and I live alone.  No children by choice, so we can wait 'til the last minute to plan our holiday meals and they can be as elaborate or as simple as we want them to be.  I know not everyone is in that situation.  So it may be too late to add Beef Wellington to your Christmas menu.  Or maybe you have 20 people to feed and it would be cost prohibitive.  Or maybe you have children who are not interested in rare steak and mushroom paste.

However, you should find the perfect time and audience to serve Beef Wellington. Beef Wellington is traditionally made of filet mignon coated in duxelles, topped with goose liver pâté, and wrapped in puff pastry.   It is beautiful and delicious.  It isn’t really that hard to make if you use pre-made puff pastry and make the duxelles (DEWk-sell) ahead of time.  You can find foie gras at specialty stores, but let’s be real.  My sister made Wellington for me once and used the Boursin cheese.  Same texture and no tortured geese. I also like the taste better.

Like I said, the duxelles can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for 2 months. Duxelles is a classic French preparation of mushrooms, in which you cook the mushrooms into a paste. Doing this serves two purposes.  The first purpose is the process really intensifies the flavor.  The second purpose is it cooks them down.   Mushrooms are full of liquid and if you didn't evaporate some of it then they would release the liquid into your dish and ruin it.  I used porcini and oyster mushrooms.  You can use button, but the flavor is a little bland.  Mix it up.

If this recipe makes too much duxelles you can use the leftovers in a million ways. Here are but a few:  Add a tablespoon to gravy; add a tablespoon to scrambled eggs or into the filling of an omelet; stir them into pizza sauce; top your favorite fish with them, add some Herbes de Provence, some butter, wrap the fish in foil and bake; stir a tablespoon or two into a quiche; roll out the other sheet of puff pastry, top with duxelles, caramelized onion, your favorite herbs, and shredded Gruyere cheese, fold just the edges of the pastry over and bake. 

Read over the recipe before you start.  My recipes tend to have more steps than others do because I am not making assumptions about your experience as a cook.  I want everyone to be able to have fun in the kitchen and not be intimidated by needlessly vague or hard to follow directions.  Beef Wellington looks elaborate, but really anyone can do this.

I served the Beef Wellington with mashed potatoes and a wonderful sauce.  To make the sauce I simmered 1 cup of port wine, I cup of beef broth, 1 tablespoon of prepared horseradish, and 1 tablespoon of course ground mustard until it was reduced by half and then strained it through a fine sieve.

Beef Wellington-Easier than it looks
I like mine rare

 

The Duxelles 

Hardware:  Food processor, a rubber spatula, measuring spoons and cups, a bowl, a skillet, a wooden spoon, a container with a lid

Ingredients:

• Course ground kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 16 ounces of mushrooms (use a variety)
• 1 shallot (¼ cup)
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
• ¼ cup of your favorite port (you can substitute beef stock)

1. Place the shallot and the garlic in the food processor and pulse until they are very fine. Scrape out the processor bowl and set them aside.  Put the mushrooms in the processor and pulse until they are the size of very small (think aquarium) pebbles.
2. Melt the butter and oil in the skillet over low heat.
3. Add the shallots mixture and sauté, stirring often, until they are translucent, (about 4 minutes)
4. Stir in the mushrooms.  Raise the heat to medium.
5. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have thickened and turned dark (about 15 minutes).
6. Use the port to deglaze the pan.  Add the tarragon, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  Turn the heat down and simmer, stirring enough to keep the mushrooms from sticking, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the mushrooms are practically a paste. (5-10 minutes)
7. Transfer to the container and cool completely.

Beef Wellington

Servings: 2

Prep time: 15 minutes   Rest time: 20-40 minutes Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring cups, a skillet, tongs, a plate, plastic wrap, a rolling pin, a pastry brush (optional), a small bowl, a fork, parchment paper, a baking sheet

Ingredients:

• Olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan
• 2 -8 ounce beef tenderloin steaks (filet mignon)
• Course ground kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• ⅓ cup Boursin Cheese (Use whichever flavor sounds good-I used Shallot and Chive)
• ⅓ cup duxelles
• An egg + a tablespoon of water
• Flour for dusting
• 1 puff pastry sheet

1. Set the pastry out to thaw.
2. Season each side of the filets with fresh cracked pepper and coarse salt.
3. Heat the olive oil as hot as your pan and stove can.  Sear the filets for one minute per side.  You want just the outside to be seared and the inside still very raw.
4. Place the filets on the plate. Top the filets with the duxelles.  Press down.  Then top the duxelles with the Boursin.  Both the mushrooms and the cheese are the consistency of clay so this is easy to do with your fingers.
5. Wrap the plate in plastic wrap and stick in the freezer (or fridge if you prefer your steak medium to well.)  Trust me.  This is necessary to keep from overcooking the steak you skipped a car payment to buy.  Remove after 20 minutes.  If the pastry still hasn’t thawed, place the steaks in the fridge until you need them. 
6. Preheat the oven to 420°F.  Cover the baking sheet in parchment paper. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
7. Sprinkle a flat surface with flour.  Unfold the pastry sheet onto the surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a rectangle large enough to wrap both steaks.  Cut it in half.
8. Working with one steak, bush the pastry sheet with the egg mixture.  Place the steak cheese side down onto the pastry. Fold the pastry over the beef and tuck the ends as if you were wrapping a package. Keep all the seams on the top side as you are working.  Use the egg wash to seal.  Make sure there are no openings.  Flip the Wellington over and place it seam side down (cheese side up) onto the baking sheet.  Repeat with the second steak.
9. Brush the pastry with the rest of the egg wash.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  

Chicken Corn Chowder

Soup is so easy.  It can be served for lunch or dinner.  It is usually easy to make.  You can throw in whatever you want, so it is a good way to use leftovers.  And it tastes better the next day.

To make this soup you can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, canned chicken (don’t please), or roast your own.  I roasted chicken breast and flavored it heavily with garlic and thyme.  I used baby potatoes so that I wouldn’t have to peel them.  I just washed and halved them. You can add in chopped carrots also, most people do, but my husband doesn’t like them. If the chowder isn’t thick enough for you, you can stir in instant potato flakes or mash a few of the potatoes in the chowder.  Another way to thicken soup is to stir equal parts corn starch and water in a small bowl (a few tablespoons) and stir it into the boiling broth.

After you perfect this recipe, you can experiment and make it your own.  Add green peppers and seeded jalapeños with the veggies, omit the thyme and add in cumin, smoked paprika, and a little chili powder to create a Tex-Mex flavor.  If you omit the chicken, use veggie stock, and add more corn this can be made for vegetarians. You can also replace the chicken with turkey or even shrimp.  Have fun.

Servings: 6-8

Time:    Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 30-40 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, A Dutch oven or a soup pot, a can opener, a wooden spoon, a ladle, serving bowls

 Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoon butter
• 2 shallots (or a small onion)
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ pound potatoes
• 15 ounce can creamed corn
• 2 cups defrosted steam in bag frozen corn
• 1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken-chopped
• 1 cup half and half
• Salt & Pepper
• Garnish:  Crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped chives, chopped green onions, croutons, and/or oyster crackers

1. Chop the shallots, celery, and garlic.  Set aside.  Depending on the type of potatoes you are using peel and quarter them.
2. In the Dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the celery, shallots, and garlic. Cook until the shallots and celery are soft (5-6 minutes).
3. Add the flour and stir until it is a paste.  Slowly add the stock.  Bring to a low boil.  Add the thyme, red pepper, salt, and potatoes.  Boil until the potatoes are tender. (20 minutes)
4. Lower the heat, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until warmed through. (10 minutes)
5. Fish out the thyme. Salt & pepper to taste.  Serve hot or warm.
6. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl top with shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, and chives or onions.  Offer your guests croutons or oyster crackers.

Chicken Corn Chowder

How to Create a Good Cheese Plate

The holidays are upon us and for the next two months if you are like me you will be invited to party after party and expected to throw more than a few of your own. The way I handle the near constant need for ready to go appetizers is cheese.

Everyone likes cheese, it keeps for a long time and is very easy to dress up.  When creating a cheese plate I usually only use 3 or 4 different types of cheese.  I put out a few sweet accompaniments, a few savory, and 3 or four different types of crackers or breads. The crackers should be plain as you want the taste of the cheese to come through. Always include a variety of olives and grapes. Make sure to slice hard cheeses before serving them.  Soft or crumbly cheeses can be scoped out with a melon baller to make individual servings.  Line the cheese up from mildest to strongest. Make sure to include a few softs and a few hards.  Never serve citrus fruit or spicy sides.  They kill the palate and ruin your cheese experience.   Cheese  needs to be taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Here are my favorite combinations:

Blues:  Roquefort, Gorgonzola

Apples wrapped in prosciutto
Praline pecans mixed with honey
Quince paste (ask at the deli)

Soft Goat Cheese: Humboldt Fog, Chèvre

Figs and dry salami
Cherry jam and toasted fennel seeds

Cheddars: Vermont Cheddar, Irish Cheddar

Tart apples
Peppered salami

Parmesan: The good stuff, go to a cheese monger

Good olive oil
Balsamic vinegar (the good stuff)
Olives packed in oil
Figs