Carrie's dish #1

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
From Gourmet Today

Ingredients:

1/4 cup drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped drained bottled roasted red peppers
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup olive oil
salt


Directions:

Combine all ingredients except oil and salt in a food processor and puree until smooth. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, blending until incorporated. Season with salt to taste.



Carrie's dish #2

Rich Crackers
From The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion


Ingredients:

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) cold butter
1 large egg
6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) cream (half & half, light, whipping, or heavy)
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in the butter. In a separate bowl, use a fork to stir egg and cream together until smooth. Add to flour-butter mixture and stir until mixture forms a loose ball. Gather together in your hands and squeeze together. Pat into an oval about 1 inch thick, wrap in waxed paper, and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle between 1/16 and 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut dough into rounds with a 3 inch or smaller cutter. Repeat with remaining dough scraps. Unlike pie crust, this repeated rolling doesn't seem to toughen the final product. Transfer rounds to lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets and prick each round several times with a fork.
Bake crackers for 6 minutes. Remove pan from oven, turn crackers over, and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until crackers are lightly browned. Remove crackers from oven and brush with melted butter. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

February - "Red" - Recipes

LEAH’S DISH #1 – Double Chocolate, Dried Cherry Biscotti

Adapted from Gourmet

Makes about 30 biscotti

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup walnuts, chopped

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a large baking sheet.

In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined well. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in dried cherries and chocolate chips.

On prepared baking sheet with floured hands form dough into two slightly flattened logs, each 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Bake logs 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool biscotti on baking sheet 5 minutes.

On a cutting board cut biscotti diagonally into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool biscotti on a rack. Biscotti keep in airtight containers 1 week and frozen, 1 month.

LEAH’S DISH #2 – Red Wine Ice Cream

Adapted from Food and Wine

Makes about 5 Cups

Ingredients

6 large egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sweet red wine, such as Moscato Rosa, Sagrantino Passito or Recioto di Valpolicella

Directions

In a heatproof bowl, mix the egg yolks. In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk and sugar and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 4 minutes. Gradually whisk the hot cream into the eggs yolks; return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes; do not let the custard boil or it will curdle.

Strain the custard into a bowl. Stir in the red wine. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cover and store in the freezer until serving time.

January - Citrus - Recipes

MARILYN’S DISH – Chicken Paillards with Clementine Salsa

Adapted from Bon Appetit

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 5-ounce chicken breast halves
• 4 clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 6 clementines)

Directions

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets plastic wrap or parchment paper, spacing apart. Using mallet, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Mix clementines and next 8 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Salsa can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.

Uncover chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Add clementine juice to skillet; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Drizzle sauce over chicken. Spoon salsa over and serve.

MARILYN’S GOODIE BAG TREAT – Meyer Lemon-Cranberry Scones

Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons; preferably Meyer)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons additional if using fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped coarse, or 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries, if you insist
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Accompaniment: creme fraiche or whipped cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a vegetable peeler remove the zest from lemons and chop fine, reserving lemons for another use.

In a food processor pulse flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and zest until mixture resembles coarse meal and transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl toss together fresh cranberries and 3 tablespoons sugar and stir into flour mixture. If using dried fruit, add to flour mixture.

In another small bowl lightly beat egg and yolk and stir in cream. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.

On a well-floured surface with floured hands pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter) and with a 2-inch round cutter or rim of a glass dipped in flour cut out as many rounds as possible, rerolling scraps as necessary. Arrange rounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden.

Serve scones warm with creme fraiche or whipped cream. Scones keep, individually wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, chilled, 1 day or frozen 1 week.

CARRIE’S DISH – Cauliflower with Mustard Lemon Butter

Adapted from Epicurious

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter rimmed baking sheet. Cut cauliflower in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in single layer on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with salt. Roast until cauliflower is slightly softened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in lemon juice, mustard, and lemon peel.

Spoon mustard-lemon butter evenly over cauliflower and roast until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes longer. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Transfer cauliflower to platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.

TAMIKA’S DISH – Lemon Risotto

Adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2002

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

Ingredients

• 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

Directions

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 saute 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.

LEAH’S DISH - Goat Cheese Crostini with Tangelo, Grapefruit and Black Pepper Marmalade

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Makes 6 servings 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature
• 4 tangelos, divided
• 1 pink grapefruit, divided
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey (I used a mango honey that I buy at the Los Angeles farmer’s market and stock up on whenever I’m there – IT’S AMAZING)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Fresh lemon juice
• 18 1/2-inch-thick slices whole wheat baguette, toasted

Directions

Place goat cheese in small bowl. Finely grate 1 teaspoon peel from 1 tangelo; stir peel into cheese.

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) in strips from remaining 3 tangelos and grapefruit. Cut peel into 1/8- to 1/4-inch pieces and place in medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, cut white pith from all 4 tangelos and grapefruit. Working over another small bowl to catch juices, cut between orange membranes to release segments. Squeeze any remaining juice from membranes into bowl. Discard membranes. Coarsely chop orange segments and add to saucepan along with any juices. Add juices from bowl to saucepan. Stir in honey and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook uncovered until thick and reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool. Season with more ground black pepper to taste and with fresh lemon juice, if desired.

DO AHEAD: Cheese and marmalade can be made 1 day ahead; cover separately and chill. Bring to room temperature before assembling crostini. Top toasted baguette slices with goat cheese, then marmalade. Place crostini on platter and serve.

December - Winter Comfort Foods - Recipes

LEAH'S DISH - Individual Vegetable Pot Pies

A variation on Ina Garten's Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
• 1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• Pinch saffron threads
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups diced sweet potatoes (1/2 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash
• 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

For the pastry I used a different pastry dough than what Ina uses:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into pieces, room temperature

Directions 

For Filling:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions, and parsley to the sauce and mix well.

For crust:
Mix flour and salt in processor. Add butter and cheese; blend until moist clumps form. Shape dough into 6-inch-long log. Wrap; chill while making chicken and filling.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. 

MARILYN'S DISH - Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Drained and chopped pickled jalapeños, to taste (I used about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Either cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingertips until well-combined. Stir in the cheddar, jalapeños and sour cream until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Pat it out to a 1/2-inch thickness on a very well-floured counter and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut six rounds. Bake on an ungreased (or parchment-lined, if your baking sheets are as “weathered” as mine are) for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden on top.

Do ahead: If you’d like to serve them over a couple days, I recommend freezing already formed but unbaked biscuits until you are ready to bake them — you can bake them directly from the freezer, adding just a minute or two to the baking time.

JENNY’S DISH - Pear Crostata with Figs and Honey

Recipe by Jeanne Kelley

November 2010

Using unpeeled pears in this dessert saves time–and adds texture.

8 servings

PREP: 1 hour

TOTAL: 3 hours 20 minutes (includes baking and cooling time)

Ingredients

crust

• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

filling

• 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon (scant) ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 1/4 pounds firm but ripe unpeeled Anjou pears (about 4), cored, each cut into 8 wedges
• 10 dried but moist Calimyrna figs (about 4 ounces), stemmed, quartered
• Heavy whipping cream (for brushing)
• Raw sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey

special equipment

• Rimless baking sheet

Directions

Free-Form Crust

Simply roll out the dough, mound the pear filling in the center, and fold the edges of the dough up and over the edge of the filling, creating free-form "sides" to hold in the fruit. No pressure, no crust anxiety. Just loosely shape the dough for a rustic and beautiful Thanksgiving dessert.

Preparation

crust

Blend first 4 ingredients in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove lid; spoon 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Return lid to processor; using on/off turns, blend mixture until dough forms ball, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Flatten dough into disk; wrap in plastic and chill at least 20 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

filling

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add pears and figs; toss gently. Roll dough out on lightly floured parchment to 14-inch square or round. Transfer parchment with rolled-out crust to rimless baking sheet. Mound pear mixture with juices in center of crust, leaving 2- to 3-inch plain dough border. Using parchment as aid, fold dough up over edges of pear mixture, pleating edges and pinching to seal any cracks in dough, forming square or round. Brush crust edges with cream; sprinkle generously with raw sugar.

Bake crostata until crust is golden, pears are tender, and juices are bubbling thickly, covering crust edges with foil if browning too quickly, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove crostata from oven; drizzle 2 tablespoons honey over hot filling. Run long thin knife or spatula around edges of warm crostata to loosen. Cool crostata on parchment on baking sheet until slightly warm, at least 1 hour. Transfer to platter. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

JACKIE’S DISH - Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas 

Estimates of measurements in brackets

Ingredients

• Water
• Pumpkin puree - [2 cups]
• Chickpeas [1 cup]
• Orange [1]
• Yellow Onion  [1 chopped and browned]
• Garlic [1/2 clove roasted]
• Honey
• Olive Oil
• Cumin
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Chili powder [only a pinch]
• Salt, Pepper

Directions

Cook in pot until chickpeas are soft enough to blend. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender.

TAMIKA’S DISH - Potato-Fennel Gratin

An Ina Garten Recipe

Ingredientsnocoupons

• 2 small fennel bulbs
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.

Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Sauté the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.

Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandolin. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sautéed fennel and onion and mix well.

Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.