Pear Pie with Red Wine and Rosemary

It's been a while folks! But we have not forgotten to eat, don't worry. I've tried to give the blog a fresh look for our fresh start, and here is a little something to serve as evidence that we've been cooking: a pie so delicious I made it twice in one month:  Pear Pie with Red Wine and Rosemary - discovered in Bon Appétit this last fall.

The crust technique was a revelation, and the filling was amazing. Seriously let's be honest, reduced red wine is never a bad idea for a dessert, and it's particularly delicious with pears.

This pie helped me survive the winter. 

I love this pie.

xo, ~Shauna

Radicchio Risotto

Folks, while we were hunkering down for Frankenstorm last night, I made this yummy risotto!

It's one of the recipes I hoarded during my year abroad in Austria, back in 1996. I learned to cook a lot of Italian delights that year from my South Tyrolean friends. Risotto is so easy (if you don't mind stirring at the stove for 20 minutes or so) and so hearty and comforting on a stormy night!

There are so many different types to make, but this time of year I really enjoy this earthy radicchio version. Here's the recipe for you....

Risotto al Radicchio
serves 4

5 or 6 cups vegetable stock
6 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
1 head radicchio, cut into strips
2 cups risotto rice
1/2 glass white wine
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
salt

Bring stock to a boil. In another pot, cook the onion in half of the butter, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the radicchio, then stir in the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains are coated in butter. Pour in the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Add a ladle full of the hot stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock and stirring until each ladle full is absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes. When the rice is tender, season with salt to taste, stir in the remaining butter and the Parmesan and serve.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Olives and Pine Nuts

I am doing an honorary post for Mommy.  She made this for dinner last night and came into my room and was like "come take a picture of this chicken so we can show it to Shauna and put it on the blog".  So I did,  and now I am posting the recipe as well.  This recipe is from Lidia Bastianich and it involves really simple ingredients but it is so tasty, and literally finger-lickin' good!  With so few ingredients I'm sure that this dish is super easy to prepare, and I'm sure Mom will attest to that in a comment very soon.

Mom served it up with some creamy polenta and sauteed green beans. Yummy!!!!

Peach Dutch Baby Pancake with Cherry Compote

I've been pretty lazy all summer about posting, so I'm going back and adding some stuff I've made over the last couple months... like this amazing delight we had for breakfast one weekend after I got some lovely peaches from the farmers market:

This yumminess would also be great for dessert. The cherry compote is kind of one of of my new favorite things... we had extra and let me tell you, the tart-sweetness is PERFECT over chocolate and/or vanilla ice cream. So good! 

Here's the recipe, which I found in the August issue of Bon Appétit. 

:)

White Bean Ragout with Toast

This is a super easy, delicious and hearty vegetarian meal for any night of the week. I saw the recipe a few months ago in Bon Appétit, and I'd like to officially add it to my repertoire. Not only is it simple and yummy, but also the recipe yields double the amount of soffritto (chopped aromatics; in this case onions, peppers, garlic and tomato paste) so that you can freeze some for later. Then you have it ready to go to quickly make this dish again (which I'm going to do tonight!), or you have a base ready for countless other sauces and soups.

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Tart

Do you have a bunch of veggies that you don't know what to do with?  Well here is an idea....make a roasted vegetable tart based on a recipe in Bon Appetit!  I made it and it was great!  Very hearty and filling, and of course tastes amazing with all the different flavors from the veggies.  It is a bit time consuming but well worth it!  Try it!

Coconut Tres Leches Cake

For anyone looking for the perfect cake to bring to a 4th of July BBQ tomorrow, I've got your recipe right here.  I made this for Father's Day a few weeks ago, and I'm going to make it again tomorrow.  It is AMAZING and pretty darn simple!  All you do is bake the cake and then pour the milk mixture on top of the hot cake and let it soak in.

I suggest making the cake right when you wake up in the morning, and then put it in the refrigerator for about 5 hours wherever the party is at. Then serve it up with some unsweetened whip cream and berries. Perfect for a summer BBQ! It is so rich & creamy and coconut-y. You won't be able to stop eating it!

Chicken Banh Mi

When I saw this recipe in Sunset magazine, I knew I had to make it!  Anything involving chinese five-spice is always good in my opinion.  Plus adding on all the condiments - there's no way it could be bad.

This is a super easy meal to make! But when the recipe says to matchstick cut your veggies, don't do that unless you feel ambitious and not very hungry yet - it's not necessary. Just cut, grate or slice them in whatever manner sounds easy and appetizing to you. Also, I used chicken tenders instead of full breasts which made the cooking time even faster. And I also subbed out the mayonnaise on the bread for Sriracha. Yummy in the tummy!

Caramel Budino with Salted Caramel Sauce

Ok, so this recipe is as amazing as it sounds!  And it really isn't that difficult to make.  The most difficult part is waiting for the pudding to chill in the refrigerator so you can eat it!  This budino can be transportable if you make it in little jars like I did.  And let me tell you, if you bring this to a dinner party for the dessert, all the guest will love you forever.  So.freakin.good!  Try it!

Radicchio, Cannellini Bean & Tuna Salad with Parsley Vinaigrette

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine and had to make it.  I always put tuna in my salads but usually just use arugula and olive oil & balsamic.  So this recipe sounded like a nice switch-a-roo, and boy was it!  I loved it!  And I will definitely be making this one again, and probably put it in my regular rotation of meals. Yum!

Spring Pastas!

First of all, a lovely pasta dish with prosciutto, asparagus, mushrooms and peas...

This is the recipe I used, except instead of fettuccine I used some fancy "casereccia" noodles that Jimmy brought home from Murrays. (It is very hard to go into Murrays without bringing home a few fancy things).

It was a very yummy Pasta Primavera indeed!

Another recent dish, also from Bon Appétit: Pasta Carbonara... "The Silkiest Carbonara" to be exact! And oh my was it silky. I have made carbonara in the past, but I don't think it was ever THIS good. I guess the trick really is lots of egg yolk but not so much white. I used pancetta instead of the guanciale, but I'd love to try the later another time. This dish is decadent and SOOO delicious!

Easy-sleazy Pozole

My new favorite soup! Pozole! Mexican flavors and super easy to make, this is totally going into the permanent rotation. I want to try out other recipes just to explore what can be done with this dish, but for now I have yet another reason to love my Williams-Sonoma "Soup and Stew" cookbook, where I got this one. Here it is for you! Enjoy!

Pozole
(makes 4 servings)

2 tbsp canola oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 cups chicken stock or prepared broth
1 15-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes with juice
1 15-oz can white hominy, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
salt and freshly ground pepper
Avocado slices & sliced green onions for garnish
Lime wedges and warm tortillas for serving

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium, and sauté the pork until opaque on all sides but not browned, working in batches if necessary, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside.

Add the onion to the pot and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin & oregano and stir a minute longer.

Add the stock, tomatoes, hominy, jalapeño, sautéed pork with any juices, and s+p to taste, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover and simmer until the pork is cooked through and the soup is fragrent, about 15 minutes.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the avocado slices and green onions; serve with lime wedges and warm tortillas alongside.

Update: Mom's Party!

A few weeks ago we posted a teaser about the surprise party we were about to throw for our mom's 60'th birthday. Well, great news, it was a huge success!! Our little mommy was so surprised, and so happy!! AND, the food was a big hit. We went with a Spanish theme with red decor, and made red sangria and lots of tapas... perfect little nibbles for a party!

Wait, first of all, before I talk about tapas, we need to have a moment for the cake Siobhan made - the cake you may have noticed in the aforementioned post. It was a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, and man alive, it was delicious. After Mom blew out her candles, it was gone within minutes. Maybe if you are lucky Siobhan will talk about the recipe soon...

...She also made these tiny chocolate cupcakes, which were adorable as well as yummy.

By the way, they are displayed on the cupcake stand our step-dad made for Siobhan for Christmas. Isn't it pretty?

So, in all of the excitement we didn't get pictures of all the tapas. For example, we made some really amazing tiny meatballs (recipe here) that got eaten up so quick that we didn't have a chance to snap a photo. There was also a delightful orange and fennel salad, some really great marinaded olives involving cumin and fennel seeds (which I am for SURE making again soon so stay tuned), and these paprika-spiced almonds: 

Basically, you blanch about 1 lb raw almonds, remove their skins then toast them for about 7-9 minutes at 400°F, stirring occasionally, until golden and aromatic. Toss them with a tbsp of Spanish olive oil, then sprinkle with a mixture of coarse sea salt and smoked Spanish paprika, which has been ground in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Stir again and serve. 

We also made prosciutto wrapped asparagus, a Spanish tortilla, homemade hummus, and the cutest dish by far, these tasty little cheese & olive empanadillas:

These were particularly fun to make, so here's the full recipe for you: 

(makes 26)

3 oz firm or soft cheese (we used feta), diced

1/2 cup pitted green olives, diced

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained & diced

1¾ oz canned anchovies, drained & diced

pepper

2 tbsp sundried tomato paste (I think we just used regular tomato paste)

plain flour, for dusting

1 lb 2 oz ready-made puff pastry, thawed if frozen

beaten egg, to glaze

fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Put all the chopped ingredients in a bowl, season with pepper to taste and gently mix together. Stir in the tomato paste.

On a lightly floured work surface, thinly roll out the puff pastry. Using a plain, round 3¼-inch cutter, cut into 18 circles. Gently pile the trimmings together, roll out again, then cut out an additional 8 circles. Using a teaspoon, put a little of the prepared filling in the center of each circle.

Dampen the edges of the pastry with a little water, then bring up the sides to cover the filling completely and pinch the edges together with your fingers (I used a fork) to seal them. With the tip of a sharp knife, make a small slit in the top of each pastry. Store the pastries in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.

Place the pastries onto dampened baking sheets and brush each with a little beaten egg to glaze. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, crisp and well risen.

Serve the empanadillas piping hot, warm or cold, garnished with parsley sprigs.
Enjoy!

And Happy Birthday again Mom, we love you!!!!! xoxox

Roasted Potato and Halibut Puttanesca

I saw this recipe in the latest Bon Appetit and had to make it!  I love all things puttanesca - olives, anchovies, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, etc...yummmmmm!  This one can stand on its own or you can serve it up with some pasta for those starchy carb lovers out there.  I changed the recipe slightly: I used anchovy paste instead of filets, I roasted the potatoes and shallots right on a roasting pan, and I cooked the fish right in the tomato sauce instead of separately. It came out really good and is definitely one I would make again!

' Note: This recipe would work really well with tilapia as well. (Halibut can be a little expensive sometimes.)

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Here are some festive red velvet cupcakes for the Valentine's Day celebrations.  I used a recipe from a cookbook I have, but here is a basic recipe that you can follow.  Beijos!

Pho!

Oh my goodness this is my new favorite soup to make. SO fragrant and fresh and really easy. Any time I get to cook with whole cloves, star anise, peppercorns and cinnamon stick, my little tail starts wagging... And anything that's served with loads of fresh herbs and lime and Sriracha in a build-it-yourself type fashion really makes me happy. I've always loved ordering Pho when at a Vietnamese restaurant, and now I'm super psyched to add this quick and simple version, adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe, to the repertoire.. Enjoy!

VIETNAMESE BEEF AND NOODLE SOUP

Makes 4 servings

7 oz rice stick noodles
8 cups beef stock
5 whole cloves
4 thin slices fresh ginger
3 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 yellow onion, sliced
S&P
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
8 shallots, sliced
1/2 lb eye of round beef, very thinly sliced by the butcher, cut into 2-inch pieces
leaves of 1 bunch fresh cilantro
leaves of 1 bunch fresh mint
leaves of 1 bunch fresh basil (preferably Thai - I had regular)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 small red Thai chiles, seeded and thinly sliced (I had a green one)
1 lime, quartered
hot sauce for serving, such as Sriracha

In a soup pot, combine the stock, cloves, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the broth is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Strain the soup into a large bowl through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the spices. Return the stock to the pot, and set aside.

In the meantime, boil water for your noodles. While the stock is simmering and the noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot slices and fry, turning with tongs, until evenly browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Have large, deep soup bowls ready. Reheat the seasoned beef broth over high heat. Drain the noodles and place in soup bowls. Divide the beef slices among the bowls, then ladle over the boiling broth (the hot broth will cook the thin beef slices). Serve with abundant fresh cilantro, mint, and basil, as well as the bean sprouts, chiles, fried shallots, lime wedges and hot sauce.

Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRETCHEN!!!!
I made this cake in celebration of Gretchen's birthday.  It is a really rich and intense chocolate cake that would go perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a big glass of cold milk, or just by itself.  It is easy to make and here is the recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a pan - I used a spring form.
2. Melt 1 pound of buttersweet chocolate and 4oz of butter over a bain marie.
3. Mix 2 egg yolks with 3oz of sugar and mix to a creme.
4. Mix the melted chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
5. Whip 8 egg whites to a soft peak.
6. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until incorporated.
7.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  The cake will rise and then fall when cooling.
Enjoy!

Jimmy's recent hits

I started buying purple cauliflower at the farmers market, b/c it's just so pretty. Well, it turns out it's also really tasty. Jimmy invented this attractive and healthy veg medly, including purple cauliflower, little red potatos, Brussels sprouts, onion, olive oil and s&p, cooked in the oven at 400. I believe he puts the potatoes in first since they need longer; after 20 minutes he adds the veggies for another 20 minutes. It's so yummy and colorful! A great side dish for any meal.

Another one of the super-duper dishes he likes to come with is twice-baked potatoes. So delish! Potatoes, cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream... (this time we had some Crème fraîche on hand so they were particularly creamy and scrumptious). On this particular night he served them up with a juicy steak that we shared and some peas. Perfect.

Three-Greens Soup with Spinach Gremolata

The other night I was looking for something warm and nutritious to cook that included some of the beautiful greens that are still at the farmer's market. I found this recipe in the latest issue of bon appétit, and it was so lovely! Perfect on a cold winter night! The flavor is earthy and lemony; anytime there's gremolata or pine nuts involved I'll probably be happy. And it's super easy to make!

The beautiful greens (and reds) all rinsed

Here is the recipe, copied from the January 2012 issue of bon appétit:

Three-Greens Soup with Spinach Gremolata
4 servings; 40 minutes total

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 sm onion thinly sliced
s & p
4 garlic cloves, 3 thinly sliced, 1 finely grated
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 bunch collard greens (8 oz.), center ribs and stems removed, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 bunch Swiss chard (12 oz.), center ribs and stems removed, chopped (about 8 cups)
1 5-oz bag packaged spinach (not baby; I used fresh), stems removed (about 4 cups), divided
2 tsp. (or more) fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. finely grated lemon juice
1 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and season with s&p. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thinly sliced garlic to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add broth, potatoes, collards, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer soup until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes.

Add Swiss chard to pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups spinach and 2 tsp. lemon juice until spinach is wilted.

Meanwhile, chop the remaining 1 cup spinach; place in a small bowl. Add lemon zest, finely grated garlic clove, and the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to chopped spinach; toss to coat. Season spinach gremolata to taste with s&p and more lemon juice if desired.

Season soup with s&p. Divide among bowls. Mound spinach gremolata on top of soup in bowls. Garnish with pine nuts.

Enjoy! :)

Tilapia with Olives, Pine Nuts, Artichoke Hearts & Basil

This dish is definitely one that you will want to make again and again...at least I do!  It is super easy and so fresh tasting. Here is what the mise en place looks like.

To start, preheat the oven to 350.  Spread 1/4 cup of pine nuts out on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes or so.  Then raise the heat to 400.  Season 4 tilapia filets with olive oil and S&P, and place then in a baking dish.  Pour 1/3 of a cup of dry white wine over the fish, as well as 1 large chopped garlic clove, and about 3 TBS of chopped fresh basil.  Nestle in among the fish 1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives and 4 artichoke hearts (cut in half).  Cover the dish with tin foil and bake until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 10-15minutes.

I used a dutch oven in order to minimize the number of pans I had to wash

Once the fish is cooked, remove the filets from the baking dish and transfer all the juices to a small pan.  Set the pan over medium heat and stir in another large chopped garlic clove, 2 TBS of chopped fresh basil and the toasted pine nuts.  You can also add a little more olive oil if needed.  Once it is nice and fragrant, spoon the sauce over the filets and serve.

I served mine up with some roasted potatoes. I tossed them in olive oil, S&P and put them in the oven just before the fish went in .  Oh boy! it was SO good!!!  All the different flavors come together perfectly in each bite.

Shauna:  I'm curious if this will trump the other tilapia that's in your permanent rotation. Let me know!