Monthly Archive for September, 2006

Page 3 of 5

Pasta with Three Peas

Published by Gastronomer on September 15, 2006 in Pasta + Rice and Recipe. 1 Comment

12 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta)
8 ounces bacon, chopped
8 shallots, trimmed, quartered
2 cups sugar snap peas (about 8 ounces)
4 cups (4 1/2 ounces) pea tendrils
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh mint
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Additional shaved Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring often. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Transfer to large bowl.

Meanwhile, sauté bacon in heavy large skillet over high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add shallots to skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until golden brown, pressing with spoon to separate layers, about 5 minutes. Add snap peas; stir until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add pea tendrils and petite peas, stirring just until tendrils wilt, about 1 minute. Add pea mixture, bacon, mint, and enough cooking liquid to moisten pasta. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Serve, passing additional cheese alongside.

Makes 4 servings.

Bon Appétit, April 2005

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Substitutions: If you haven’t figured it out already, I like to take great recipes and tweak them to a healthier state. I used spiral-shaped whole wheat pasta in place of the “little ears,” used turkey bacon in place of the regular bacon, and used frozen chopped spinach in place of the pea tendrils out of convenience. Onions can also be used in place of the shallots if so desired.

Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Published by Gastronomer on September 15, 2006 in Cake + Cupcake, Dessert and Recipe. 1 Comment

For cake

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For frosting

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make cake

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Make frosting

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Recipe by Hershey’s Kitchens

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Substitutions: I used whole wheat flour since it was all that I had on hand. While it sounds kinda weird, it turned out perfectly moist and chocolatey, plus it had extra fiber. For the frosting i used granulated rather than powdered sugar and as a result the frosting was a bit grainy. In the future i will probably run out to the store to get some powdered sugar since I never have it on hand.

Lemon Risotto with Spinach

Published by Gastronomer on September 15, 2006 in Italian, Pasta + Rice and Recipe. 3 Comments

6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings.

Bon Appétit, May 2002

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Substitutions: I pretty much stick to the recipe with this one, but try to use as little butter as possible. Leaving out the butter is not detrimental to the risotto’s instrinsic creaminess. Trust me. I also like to add in fresh spinach toward the end of the cooking period because spinach is awesome. i have also substituted onions for shallots on a number of occasions.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Maple Syrup Apples

Published by Gastronomer on September 15, 2006 in Breakfast + Brunch, Breakfast / Brunch and Recipe. 5 Comments

For pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Butter for brushing griddle

Preheat oven to 200°F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, egg, and buttermilk until smooth.

Heat a griddle or a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface, then brush with butter. Working in batches and using a 1/4-cup measure filled halfway, pour batter onto griddle and cook, turning over once, until golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to a heatproof plate and keep warm, covered, in oven.

Cooks’ note:Batter keeps, chilled and covered, 3 days. Thin as necessary with additional buttermilk or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, before using.

Makes 14 (3-inch) pancakes.

For maple syrup apples

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 large Golden Delicious apples (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and 1 tablespoon maple syrup; sauté until apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup and cinnamon.

Spoon apples over pancakes. Serve, passing additional maple syrup.

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from Gourmet, May 2004 and Bon Appétit, October 2004

[For Printable Recipe Click Here]

Whole Wheat Gnocchi

Published by Gastronomer on September 15, 2006 in Italian, Pasta + Rice and Recipe. 0 Comments

gnocchi4

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
2 quarts water
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt

Put the potatoes in a pot with the water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes at a strong simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain the water and let the potatoes cool for only a few minutes before you begin to pull the skins off. Discard the potato skins and, while still hot, pass the potatoes through a ricer into a bowl.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the riced potatoes and incorporate well. Add the flour in two stages, so you use just enough to bind the potato. Add the second half of the flour (and have some additional flour available, in case it’s necessary) and mix well to form a dough.

gnocchi4

Divide the dough in half, and on a floured work surface, roll the first half of dough into a 1-inch-thick log. Cut the log into 1/2-inch-thick round pieces. Lay the pieces out, and with the back of a fork or your thumb, make an indentation on one side.

Set aside and refrigerate until needed.

Cook them in several quarts of boiling, salted water for 10 to15 seconds. They cook very quickly and are done when they float to the surface.

Yields 4-6 portions.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious, 1997

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Substitutions: Instead of plain old all purpose flour, I used whole wheat flour. And due to the fact that I’m a minimalist in terms of kitchen supplies, instead of a potato ricer I used the combination of fork and diligent astronomer.