italian — Page 4

mussels fra diavolo

12/01/2012 By bridget

Dave took to mussels before I did. They, along with all the other bivalves, weren’t even on my radar when he came home from a dinner with coworkers raving about them. It was one of the first foods he’d tried before I had.

Not long after, we went to a Belgian mussels and beer restaurant, and after that I was hooked. It took me a few bites to get past the slightly boogery texture, but I was sold when I tasted the liquid they were served with. It was buttery and winey and briney, and the housemade ketchup didn’t hold a candle to it as a dip for the crisp French fries served alongside.

We’ve eaten mussels many, many times since then, but this is our favorite way. It’s garlicky and spicy, and the pasta is the perfect vehicle to mix with the sauce the mussels cook in. And the best part? Dave likes it so much, he’s willing to make dinner. This makes me love mussels at least as much as he does.

One year ago: Normandy Apple Tart
Two years ago: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Three years ago: Herbed Lamb Chops with Pinot Noir Sauce
Four years ago: Truffles (chocolate brand comparison)

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Mussels fra Diavolo (adapted from Cook’s Illustrated’s Shrimp fra Diavolo and Gourmet)

Serves 4

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
12 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about ¼ cup), divided
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
salt
¾ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon sugar
1 pound linguine
3 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded
¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. Heat a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and 9 cloves of garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is sticky and light golden and begins to foam, about 7-10 minutes. Mix in the tomatoes, wine, 1 teaspoon salt, the red pepper flakes, and sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until thickened and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

3. While the sauce is simmering, add 1 tablespoon salt and the linguine to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain; return the pasta to the now empty pot and add about ½ cup of the sauce. Toss well to coat.

4. Add the mussels to the remaining sauce and cook, covered, until they just open wide, checking frequently after 3 minutes and transferring to a bowl. Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 6 minutes.

5. Stir the remaining garlic and the parsley into the sauce. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Divide the pasta among warmed serving bowls, topping with the mussels and sauce. Serve immediately.

Filed Under: alcohol, healthy, italian, one pot meal, pasta, seafood, vegetables

pizza with ricotta, caramelized onions, and prosciutto

10/21/2012 By bridget

My pizza making goes in phases. I’ll go through long stretches where, every other Friday, I’m arranging turkey pepperoni over green chile-spiked tomato sauce. If I want to get fancy, I’ll add sliced mushrooms.

And then that will turn around, and each pizza for months will be different from last. Rarely do these varied pizzas have tomato sauce and mozzarella; it seems that if I’m choosing anything resembling a traditional pizza, it’s going to be topped with that pepperoni and green chile. In fact, of the last few pizzas I’ve made, this is the only one that even uses predominately Italian ingredients.

But those ingredients make it a safe bet, because you can never go wrong with creamy fresh ricotta, salty prosciutto, and sweet onions. The original recipe made the onions into a marmalade with sugar and balsamic vinegar, but I think caramelized onions are plenty sweet on their own. I chose to add the prosciutto after removing the pizza from the oven, instead of before baking, because I find the baked prosciutto turns into little more than crisp bits of salt. Letting the heat of the pizza soften the bite-sized pieces of ham leaves their meaty flavor. Altogether, it makes for a worthy departure from pepperoni and green chile.

One year ago: Turkey Ricotta Meatloaf
Two years ago: Red Kidney Bean Curry
Three years ago: Brown Rice with Black Beans
Four years ago: Mulled Cider

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Pizza with Ricotta, Caramelized Onions, and Prosciutto (adapted from The New York Times via Smitten Kitchen)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
salt
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 ounces prosciutto, cut or torn into approximately 1-inch pieces
1 cup ricotta cheese (made from 4 cups milk, if homemade)
1 pound pizza dough, fully risen and at room temperature (⅓ of this recipe)

1. Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees.

2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering; stir in the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions just begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the crushed red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened and are medium golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, shape the dough into a ball. Set it aside for 10 to 30 minutes, loosely covered, to allow the gluten to relax.

4. Working on a lightly floured surface or a damp cloth, flatten the dough, then pick it up and gently stretch it out, trying to keep it as circular as possible. Curl your fingers and let the dough hang on your knuckles, moving and rotating the dough so it stretches evenly. If it tears, piece it together. If the dough stretches too much, put it down and gently tug on the thick spots. Transfer the round of dough to a large square of parchment paper; slide the parchment with the dough onto a pizza peel.

5. Spread the ricotta evenly over the dough, then evenly disperse the onions over the ricotta. Slide the pizza with the parchment onto the hot baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the crust is browned around the edges. Transfer the pizza to a cooling rack without the parchment. Top with the prosciutto. Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Filed Under: cheese, italian, pizza, pork, vegetables

chicken parmesan

10/01/2012 By bridget

I wasn’t excited about this chicken when I planned it. All I really wanted was the pasta, because I’d just made a big batch of sauce from fresh homegrown (not by me) tomatoes. I only added the chicken for protein.

Maybe this isn’t saying much, since obviously my expectations were low, but the chicken exceeded my expectations. It exceeded my expectations by being perfect. Seasoned and not a bit dry, with a crisp coating, topped with just enough melty cheese, it almost stole the show from my precious tomato sauce.

But now that tomato season is over, I can tell you which one I’ll be making again sooner. Chicken this good doesn’t need summer tomatoes to turn it into a great meal.

One year ago: Flip-Over Cherry Cake (Tuesdays with Dorie)
Two years ago: Whiskey Compound Butter
Three years ago: Goat Cheese, Pesto, and Sun-Dried Tomato Terrine
Four years ago: Lavash Crackers (Daring Bakers)

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Chicken Parmesan (rewritten but not changed from Cook’s Illustrated’s The New Best Recipe)

Serves 4

I didn’t use this sauce, although I’m sure it’s good.

I hate pounding meat. My chicken breasts were already pretty thin, so I didn’t bother, but I’m more likely to cut breasts in half to form two flatter cutlets than I am to pound them thinner.

Breaded chicken cutlets:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 to 6 ounces each)
¼ cup table salt
Ground black pepper
1½ cup fresh bread crumbs
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying

Tomato sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon sugar
Salt and ground black pepper

To finish:
8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
3 ounces (¾ cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup (0.5 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness. In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve the salt in 4 cups of cold water; immerse the chicken in the water and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Set the chicken aside for 10 minutes to allow it to continue drying; season with pepper.

2. For the sauce: Heat the garlic and oil together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens a bit and the flavors meld, 10-12 minutes. Taste the sauce, adjusting the salt if necessary. Cover and keep warm.

3. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler.

4. Meanwhile, transfer the bread crumbs to a shallow bowl. Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl. In a third bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of oil. Coat the chicken thoroughly in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in the egg mixture. Dip both sides of each chicken cutlets in the bread crumbs, pressing to form an even coating. Transfer the breaded chicken cutlets to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Allow the coating to dry for 5 minutes.

5. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to the package instructions; drain and return to the pot.

6. Meanwhile, heat ¼-inch of olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer two cutlets to the pan and cook, without moving, until golden brown and crisp, about 2½ minutes. Flip the cutlets, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the second side is thoroughly browned, 2½ to 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a (clean) wire rack. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, using new oil. (Otherwise the breading bits from the first batch of oil will burn.)

7. Top each cutlet with 3 tablespoons of mozzarella and 1 tablespoon of parmesan. Place the baking sheet with the chicken under the broil; cook until the cheeses melt and are spotty brown, about 3 minutes.

8. Spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce over each cutlet. Toss the remaining sauce with the pasta. Serve immediately.

Filed Under: cheese, italian, pasta, vegetables

mushroom prosciutto lasagna

08/07/2012 By bridget

So much lies in a name. If you offer me mushroom lasagna, I’ll gladly take a square of earthy dairy-rich pasta. But if you instead are giving away mushroom prosciutto lasagna, I’ll snatch it out of your hand. Roasted portobello prosciutto lasagna? Even better, and I don’t even love portobellos – but something about that more precise label makes it sound even more appetizing.

That’s how I ended up making a lasagna recipe that isn’t, once you get down to it, all that original. It’s sautéed mushrooms with béchamel, swiss cheese, and pasta, which certainly sounds delicious but, except for possibly the Gruyère, is a fairly standard lasagna filling. The prosciutto, however, is a key factor, because I love that salty, meaty, spiced ham.

Of course, it was good. How could it not be, with such a track record? It’s not just a name either – roasting the mushrooms (I used cremini instead of portobellos) concentrates their flavor, and the prosciutto adds a great dimension to a lasagna that could have easily ended up bland or overly earthy without it. This lasagna certainly lived up to its enticing title.

One year ago: Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
Two years ago: Yogurt-Marinated Lamb Kebabs
Three years ago: Tortellini Soup with Carrots, Peas, and Leeks
Four years ago: Summer Rolls

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Roasted Cremini and Prosciutto Lasagna (adapted from Bon Appetit via epicurious)

Serves 6

While I sautéed the prosciutto with some shallots, I think you could save a dish and roast them with the mushrooms instead.

To boil and rinse the pasta, follow the instructions in step 4 of this recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt
Ground black pepper
6 ounces prosciutto, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 large shallots, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces (about 2 cups) Gruyère cheese, shredded
½ cup (1 ounces) grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 pound fresh lasagna noodles, boiled and rinsed

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; heat to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the oil, mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, stirring twice, until browned, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven; set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

2. In a small skillet over medium heat, sauté the prosciutto, stirring occasionally, until fat begins to render, 4-5 minutes. Add two of the shallots and the herbs; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the foaming subsides, add the remaining shallots, the garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are softened and translucent. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk. Add the bay leaf, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the nutmeg and ½ teaspoon salt, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup parmesan.

4. Spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover the sauce with a slightly overlapping layer of boiled noodles, cutting them as needed to fill any gaps. Evenly spread 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles. Top with half of the mushrooms, then half of the prosciutto mixture and half of the Gruyère cheese. Cover with another layer of noodles, then repeat the layering of 1 cup sauce, the remaining mushrooms, and the remaining Gruyère. Layer a final layer of noodles, then cover with the remaining sauce and the remaining ¼ cup parmesan.

5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Filed Under: casserole, cheese, italian, mushrooms, pasta, pork

kale salad with garlic vinaigrette

07/23/2012 By bridget

I made this for the first time a couple months ago, and I made the salmon salad for the first time just a couple weeks ago. If I had gotten around to telling you about this one before I told you about the other, I would have labeled this as my new favorite salad (although this other one is close, but that’s not fair because it has goat cheese in it). Now the Mediterranean salmon salad has stolen that title, but this kale salad is certainly my favorite side salad.

I’m rarely a fan of side salads. Usually I think of them as nothing more than a distraction from what I really want, which is the carbs and sauce they often accompany. I eat them, because vegetables are important, but I don’t get much enjoyment from them.

Maybe if the average side salad involved generous amounts of garlic and parmesan cheese, I’d feel more generouos toward it. Crunchy pine nuts don’t hurt either. All of those strong flavors need something hearty to stand up to them, and kale is the answer. I like to spend a few minutes massaging the dressing into the kale to soften the raw leaves. I have to admit, I still usually serve this before the main course, and not alongside it, but it holds its own compared to the best of carbs and sauce.

One year ago: Slow-Cooker Spinach Mushroom Lasagna
Two years ago: Tacos al Pastor
Three years ago: Dried Fruit Compote
Four years ago: Sautéed Shredded Zucchini

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Kale Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette (adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride)

4 servings

The amount of oil you add is somewhat a matter of personal taste. The amount listed will result in a balanced vinaigrette. However, I can’t stomach the thought of 2 tablespoons of oil per serving in a salad and I don’t mind tart dressings, so I use substantially less, just a couple of tablespoons total.

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (1 ounce) grated parmesan
¼ teaspoon salt
pinch ground black pepper
2 bunches kale, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
parmesan, shaved (for garnish)

1. Add the garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper to a bowl and whisk to combine. Let stand at least 15 minutes, or, for a stronger garlic flavor, cover and refrigerate the mixture overnight. Just before serving, slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking constantly. Stir in the grated parmesan.

2. Transfer the kale to a large bowl. Add about half of the dressing and toss to combine. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale by lightly squeezing and tossing the kale until it softens and begins to wilt. Taste, adding more dressing if necessary. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan; serve.

Filed Under: cheese, gluten free, healthy, italian, nuts, salad, vegetables

coffee gelato

06/29/2012 By bridget

I knew before going to Italy last fall that gelato was A Thing there, but because ice cream isn’t A Thing with me, I figured I would try some to say I did and that would be that. It turns out, though, that I vastly misjudged my penchant for gelato. By the end of the trip, in my obsessive travel journal, in which I recorded everything we did (“sat in the square some more” sums up most of my memories from Siena) and every meal we ate, I was adding notes on what flavor of gelato I ate each day.

I miss a lot of things about that trip to Italy; daily gelato is just one of many, in addition to cappuccino every morning, wine at lunch and dinner, and a couple breathtaking sites per day. Daily gelato isn’t a good idea in real life anyway, but I wondered if I could even replicate it at home. What, exactly, is the difference between Italian gelato and American ice cream?

It turns out that gelato has less air churned into it, which means that it can be made with less fat and still feel creamy. It also means that it’s easy to make something similar at home, simply by churning it in your ice cream mixer for less time. I can’t say it was as good as what we had in Italy, but then, I might feel differently if I had eaten it while sitting in the square some more.

One year ago: Summer Berry Pie
Two years ago: Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies
Three years ago: Mushroom Salad
Four years ago: Mixed Berry Cobbler

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Coffee Gelato (adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop)

Makes about 1 pint

I accidentally used twice this amount (so ½ cup) of coffee beans. It seemed to work, and I didn’t think the coffee flavor was overpowering, but I’m sure ¼ cup will get the job done just fine too.

2 cups whole milk
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) sugar
¼ cup coffee beans, coarsely ground
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped out
pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream, divided
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk, sugar, coffee beans, vanilla pod and seeds, salt, and ½ cup cream until steaming but not boiling. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and steep for 1 hour at room temperature.

2. Fill a large bowl one-third full of ice water. Set a medium bowl in the larger bowl and set a fine-mesh strainer in the medium bowl.

3. Reheat the milk mixture over medium heat until steaming. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. When the milk it hot, very slowly pour it into the yolks, whisking constantly. Once about half the milk is mixed into the yolks, pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk in the pot. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-6 minutes.

4. Pour the custard through the fine-mesh strainer into the medium bowl set over ice. Add the remaining ½ cup heavy cream and the vanilla. Let the custard cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

5. Freeze the ice cream custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once frozen to the consistency of a thick custard (not as thick as the soft serve consistency you’d look for in American ice cream), transfer the ice cream to a chilled bowl and freeze until firm.

Filed Under: custard, dessert, freezer friendly, gluten free, italian

focaccia

05/31/2012 By bridget

I’ve made focaccia before, years ago, but since Peter Reinhart claims so assertively that his recipe is superior to most focaccia found in America, I thought I’d better give it a try. It has a lot of good things going for it, like herb-scented oil poured on top and a cold overnight fermentation – always a sign of good flavor to come in yeast breads.

It’s fun to make too. The mixer (if you have one) does most of the messy work, but you still get to play with the soft and stretchy dough to shape it. Then you stick your fingers in the oiled dough to create dimples and spread it into the pan. After that, you throw it in the fridge until you’re ready for it, which is always a good trick for convenience.

It was definitely good bread, soft in the middle, just a little crisp and almost flaky on top, scented with herbs and olive oil. But – I’m not sure it was the height of focaccia perfection, despite Reinhart’s usually well-deserved swagger. For me, adding a touch more salt or a spoonful of sugar would have given the bread a welcome flavor boost. On the plus side, this gives me the perfect excuse to make more focaccia.

One year ago: Tartine Country Bread
Two years ago: Spinach Artichoke Pizza
Three years ago: Tofu Mu Shu
Four years ago: Crockpot Pulled Pork

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Focaccia (slightly reworded from Peter Reinhart’s Bread Baker’s Apprentice)

For the herb oil:
½ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (any combination of basil, parsley, rosemary, sage)
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

For the bread:
5 cups (22.5 ounces) high-gluten or bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups water, at room temperature
6 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup herb oil
Extra olive oil for the pan

1. For the herb oil: Warm the olive oil to about 100 degrees. Add the remaining ingredients; let steep while you prepare the dough.

2. For the bread: In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and oil; mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until all the ingredients form a wet, sticky ball. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. You may need to add additional flour to firm up the dough enough to clear the sides of the bowl, but the dough should still be quite soft and sticky.

3. Sprinkle enough flour on the counter to make a bed about 6 inches square. Using a scraper or spatula dipped in water, transfer the sticky dough to the bed of flour and dust liberally with flour, patting the dough into a rectangle. Let the dough relax for 5 minutes.

4. Coat your hands with flour and stretch the dough from each end to twice its size. Fold it, letter style, over itself to return it to a rectangular shape. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretching, folding, and resting twice more. After the last (third) fold, cover the dough and let it ferment at room temperature for 1 hour. It should swell but not necessarily double in size.

5. Oil an 18-by-13-inch pan and line with parchment paper. Use a pastry scraper and lightly oiled hands to lift the dough off the counter and transfer it to the prepared pan, maintaining the rectangular shape as much as possible.

6. Spoon half of the herb oil over the dough. Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and spread it to fill the pan simultaneously. Try to keep the thickness as uniform as possible across the surface. If the dough becomes too springy, let it rest for about 15 minutes and then continue dimpling. Don’t worry if you are unable to fill the pan perfectly, especially the corners. As the dough relaxes and proofs, it will spread out naturally. Use more herb oil as needed to ensure that the entire surface is coated with oil.

7. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough overnight (or for up to 3 days).

8. 3 hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and drizzle the remaining herb oil over the surface; dimple it in. This should allow you to fill the pan completely with the dough to a thickness of about ½-inch. Cover the pan with plastic and proof the dough at room temperature for 3 hours, or until the dough doubles in size, rising to a thickness of nearly 1 inch.

9. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

10. Place the pan in the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking the focaccia for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until it begins to turn a light golden brown. The internal temperature of the dough should register above 200 degrees (measured in the center).

11. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately transfer the focaccia out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow the focaccia to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing or serving.

Filed Under: bread, Bread Baker's Apprentice, italian, yeast bread

lemon ricotta cookies

05/27/2012 By bridget

Due to the knee injury that’s kept me from working out at my normal intensity for four months (and counting), I mostly gave up baking for a while. Most of the baking I’ve done recently has been to use up the surplus of organic lemons I keep ending up with as a result of buying them in bags in the Big City. I hoard them until the week before I plan to head back to the Big City, and then I figure that I’d better get rid of them so I can justify buying more.

I’m not sure my coworkers have noticed the prevalence of lemon treats I’ve brought in to share. It started with the pound cake, and then, weeks later (a departure from the once a week or so I used to bring stuff in), there were these cookies. Next week, it’ll be lemon cream tartelettes.

I don’t think anyone has minded, considering that several people came by to tell me that these might be the best thing I’ve shared yet. (Questionable.) More tiny glazed cake than cookie, I definitely understand the popularity. But now that I’m almost back to my normal workouts, my coworkers better brace themselves for something besides lemon – by which I mean chocolate, of course.

One year ago: Basic Coleslaw
Two years ago: Quinoa Tabbouleh
Three years ago: Croissants
Four years ago: Ricotta Spinach and Tofu Ravioli

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Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze (slightly adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis via Apple a Day)

Cookies:
2½ cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Glaze:
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

2. Place the sugar, salt, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl if you’re using a hand-held mixer). Beat on medium-low speed until the sugar looks slightly moist. Add the butter and continue beating on medium-low until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time. Add the ricotta and lemon juice, then continue mixing on medium speed for about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until evenly combined.

3. Spoon the dough (about 1 tablespoon for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 8-11 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.

4. For the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about ½ teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before serving.

Filed Under: cheese, citrus, cookies, dessert, italian

shrimp ricotta ravioli

05/12/2012 By bridget

The day I made these was a Saturday with weather too unpleasant to spend time outside, so it was the perfect time to blast chick music and hang out in the kitchen. My dinner plans were fairly ambitious – crab cakes, roasted asparagus, goat cheese scallion muffins, and for dessert, pizzelles with ricotta filling. While I was already in the kitchen, I went ahead and prepared some things for later in the week, like bagel pre-doughs, burger patties, and hard-boiled eggs. And I thought, if I have extra energy and time, I’ll make shrimp ravioli.

The problem is that the shrimp ravioli would be our first course of the night, so I’d have to make it before dinner – before I stood the chance of running out of energy and time. And making ricotta, pasta, seafood broth, shrimp filling, seafood cream sauce, and ravioli is exactly the sort of ambitious project with the potential for wearing me out.

In the end, I did manage to get everything made, and what’s even more impressive is that I managed to have fun the entire time. But, all told, I spent about six hours in the kitchen that day. It was glorious. And exhausting.

Everything I made turned out really well, but if I had to choose a favorite, I think it would be these ravioli. Even more than the muffins and the crab cakes and the pizzelle, although that’s a tough choice. (Asparagus is not my favorite vegetable; it never stood a chance.) The crab cakes and muffins are probably a better value for your time, but who cares about time when you’re stuck inside on a Saturday?

One year ago: Quinoa with Salmon, Feta, and Dill
Two years ago: Cheddar Shortbread
Three years ago: Tiramisu Cake
Four years ago: Peanut Butter Torte

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Shrimp Ravioli in Shellfish Cream Sauce

6-8 first-course servings

I really liked the seafood sauce I made, but I only used a bare amount of it, because I didn’t want to overpower the filling.

1 tablespoon butter
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 shallot, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 garlic clove, minced
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup white wine
1 cup clam juice
8 ounces shrimp, shells on
8 ounces ricot
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 tablespoons minced parsley
½ cup heavy cream
1 recipe of fresh pasta, rolled to the second-to-last setting

1. For the seafood broth: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter just until the foaming subsides. Add the carrot and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots start to brown around the edges. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about a minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the white wine, clam juice, and the shrimp with their shells. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Remove the shrimp when they curl and turn pink, after about 3 minutes. Peel the shrimp and return the shells to the broth. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Strain the broth, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids.

2. For the filling: Transfer the cooked shrimp to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until minced. Combine the shrimp with the ricotta, egg, parmesan, and parsley.

3. For the ravioli: Place one rounded teaspoon of filling every 3 inches along the length of a pasta sheet. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, wet the pasta along the edges and in between the rounds of filling. If the pasta sheet is at least 4 inches wide, fold it lengthwise over the filling. If the pasta sheet is too thin to fold lengthwise, lay a second pasta sheet over the filling. Press around each ball of filling to seal the two layers of pasta together. Use a pizza roller to cut between the filling to form squares of ravioli. Transfer the formed ravioli to a dry dish towel until ready to cook (there’s no need to cover it). Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a tablespoon of salt and lower the heat until the water is at a lively simmer. Cook the ravioli in small batches until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes, using a skimmer or large slotted spoon to remove the ravioli from the boiling water.

5. For the sauce: Combine the heavy cream and strained seafood broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until thickened, 6-10 minutes. Gently toss the sauce with the drained ravioli; serve immediately.

Filed Under: cheese, italian, pasta, seafood

pizza with lamb meatballs, caramelized onions, and parsley

05/04/2012 By bridget

The disadvantage of only working every other Friday is that the longer 5-day weeks seem like an eternity. When will it end? How can it be only Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday? I have to wake up to an alarm again? Torture! It’s not that I don’t like my job, it’s just that I like the weekends so much more.

I get by by keeping my eye on the prize, and by “prize”, I mean when I come home from work on Friday afternoon, grab my book and a beer, and go sit in the backyard. I plan the rest of my week so that Friday after work is a No Chore Zone. The groceries should be shopped for, the dishwasher should be emptied, the house should not be a pigsty. I don’t want any detours between putting down my work bag and heading out to the backyard to read in the sun.

An hour or two later, refreshed, I’ll come in to make dinner. These long weeks always call for pizza on Friday. If I lived somewhere with a good takeout option, I would welcome that, but instead, I make my own, which has the added advantage of whole wheat crust and skim milk cheese (I think it melts better anyway). Not to mention – when was the last time you saw lamb meatballs on a pizza menu?

This pizza, one of the best I’ve made recently, is a perfect example of my pizza formula, with savory lamb, sweet onions, bitter parsley, and the traditional acidic tomato sauce and salty cheese. It’s more work than your average pizza, what with the onions needing to be cooked and, most tediously, the tiny meatballs, but it’s worth the extra effort, even on a Friday night after a long workweek – provided that I get my beer and book in the backyard first.

One year ago: Marbled Loaf Cake
Two years ago: Corned Beef Hash
Three years ago: Roasted Baby Artichokes
Four years ago: Rice and Beans

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Pizza with Lamb Meatballs, Caramelized Onions, and Parsley (inspired by Bon Appétit)

Serves 6

I tried this with both fresh mozzarella and the firmer type, and while they were equally tasty, the firmer cheese did a better job of gluing the meatballs to the pizza. Lamb meatballs that roll onto the floor to get coated in cat hair are sad.

12 ounces ground lamb
1 egg
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 onions, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 pounds pizza dough (⅔ of this recipe), fully risen
1 (14-ounce) can whole or diced tomatoes packed in juice (not puree), drained
8 ounces (2 cup) shredded mozzarella
1 ounce (½ cup) grated parmesan
¼ cup minced parsley

1. Use your hands to evenly combine the lamb, egg, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Form the mixture into balls about ½-inch in diameter. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the meatballs and cook until well browned on a couple sides, about 4 minutes, turning about once a minute with a spatula. Wipe out the skillet.

2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering; stir in the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions just begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened and are medium golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Divide the dough in half; shape each portion into a ball. Let the balls of dough relax for 10 to 30 minutes.

4. Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor 10-12 times, until they’re pureed. Transfer them to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl and let them drain, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Discard the liquid in the bowl, transfer the tomatoes from the strainer to the now-empty bowl, and stir in a pinch of pepper and ⅛ teaspoon of salt.

5. Flatten the dough, then pick it up and gently stretch it out, trying to keep it as circular as possible. Curl your fingers and let the dough hang on your knuckles, moving and rotating the dough so it stretches evenly. If it tears, piece it together. If the dough stretches too much, put it down and gently tug on the thick spots.

6. Line a pizza peel (or the back of a baking sheet) with parchment paper and transfer the round of dough to the peel, rearranging it to something reasonably circular. Spread half of the sauce over the dough, then top with half of the mozzarella, meatballs, onions, and parmesan. Transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom of the crust is spotty brown. Remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle half of the parsley over it, and let it cool on cooling rack for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Filed Under: cheese, italian, lamb, pizza, vegetables