Category Archives: Recipes

28

Apr. ’13

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:

 

1 lb. angel hair pasta

6 large lemons
½ cup butter
Mint leaf

Salt

1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups light cream
¼ c. Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Using a vegetable peeler, remove thin strips of peel from the lemons and cut into fine julienne strips. Juice the lemons and reserve the juice. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the lemon peel and mint leaf.  Add lemon juice and simmer on medium for 3-5 minutes.  Add dry pasta and ¼ c. water. Stir with wooden spoon until pasta has almost absorbed all of the liquid and has softened. If necessary, add more lemon juice or water until the pasta is tender. Add parsley, a dash of salt and the grated cheese. Add cream, reduce heat and cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until the liquid has reduced and is thickened.  Serve garnished with a sprig of mint. Serves 4-6.

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28

Apr. ’13

Tortellini with Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops

Ingredients:

½ lb. sea scallops

2 lobster tails

½ lb. jumbo shrimp

1 T. olive oil

1-16 oz. jar marinara sauce

½ c. vodka

1 c. heavy cream

½ t. cayenne

1 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1lb. package of fresh tortellini

Directions:

Cut lobster tails into 1-inch pieces.  Peel and devein shrimp. Saute scallops, lobster and shrimp in skillet over medium heat with olive oil until opaque.  Remove from heat and set aside. In sauce pan over medium heat, bring marinara sauce to boil and gradually stir in vodka and cayenne. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Gradually whisk in cream and heat through.  Add seafood to sauce.  Prepare pasta according to directions.  Drain and add to seafood mixture.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

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31

Aug. ’12

Pasta Frittata

Ingredients:

1 c. cooked spaghetti or other left-over pasta

3 eggs

1/4 c. grated Parmigiano cheese

1/4 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and sliced

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 t. sausage drippings or 1 T. olive oil

 Directions:

Cut cold, cooked spaghetti into small pieces.  Beat eggs, stir in spaghetti, cheese, sausage, cheeses.  Heat olive oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet.  Pour in spaghetti mixture.  Fry five minutes or until brown and crisp.  Slide out of pan into plate; turn back into pan and fry other side for five minutes.  Cut into 4 wedges.

 

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29

Aug. ’12

Potato Dumplings with Bacon, Fava Beans and Pearl Onions

Ingredients:

Gnocchi (See previous recipe)

2 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped

1 10-oz pkg. pearl onions, fresh or frozen

1 t. sugar

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. peeled fava beans or frozen baby lima beans

2 t. cornstarch

1/4 c. sweet Marsala wine

1 t. minced fresh marjoram

 Directions:

Saute pancetta in heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.  Reduce heat to low, add onions, sprinkle with sugar and sauté

until brown and tender, about 25 minutes.  Transfer onions to bowl.  Add broth, beans and cornstarch to skillet.  Simmer until beans are tender, about 5 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to onions in bowl.  Cook liquid until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add 1/4 c. Marsala and marjoram; return onions and beans to liquid.  Serve over gnocchi.

 

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29

Aug. ’12

Gnocchi (Potato Dumplings)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. potatoes, cooked and put through ricer

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 oz. parmigiano, grated

1/2 c. potato flour (pure di patate scelte granulare)

4 egg yolks

Salt white pepper

 Directions:

Put potatoes in center of counter.  Pour flour on top (potato flour keeps gnocchi from being tough).  Make well.  Add egg yolks, salt and pepper.  Wearing disposable gloves, mush together incorporating flour to make dough.  Sprinkle 2-3 times with additional potato flour.  Knead until smooth.  Form into a ball.  Using a bench scraper or knife, portion out a section and roll into a long 1/2 inch roll.  Cut gnocchi into little “pillows” about 1/2 inch square using the bench scraper or knife.  Toss with semolina flour or potato flour so they don’t stick together.  Spread on cookie sheet and freeze .  Store in Ziploc bags until ready for use.  To prepare for serving:  Boil in salted water for 3-5 minutes until they float.

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11

Aug. ’12

Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

Another great dessert using rum which can be made from stale, leftover bread or baguettes!

Ingredients:

1 loaf of French bread, dried out and torn into chunks

1 qt. milk

2 c. sugar

2 T. vanilla

3 eggs

1 c. diced apples

½ c. raisins

½ c. pecans, chopped

3 T. melted butter

 

Rum Sauce

½ c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

3 T. dark rum

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350oF. Soak bread in milk for 30 minutes.  Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla, raisins, nuts and apples and combine with bread chunks.  Spread melted butter on bottom on 13” x 9” baking dish.  Add bread mixture and bake at 350oF for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly and hot. For sauce, cream butter and sugar.  Add vanilla.  Stir in rum and egg.  Transfer to sauce pan and heat over low heat for 5 minutes or until warm.  Serve over pudding.

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11

Aug. ’12

Tiramisu

4 T. rum

4 fl. Oz. strong black coffee

2 T. brandy

16-20 sponge fingers

1 lb. mascarpone

2 eggs, separated

5 T. powdered sugar

3-4 oz. dark, bittersweet chocolate, pulverized in blender

 

Mix 2 T. of the rum with the coffee and brandy.  Dip sponge fingers in this mixture and arrange in goblets.  Pour over them any remaining coffee mixture, but not so much that the sponge fingers become soggy.  Beat together the mascarpone, egg yolks and sugar.  Add remaining rum.  Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into the mascarpone mixture.  Spoon over the sponge fingers; sprinkle with chocolate and refrigerate overnight.

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07

May. ’12

Curried Seafood Salad

Ingredients:

Salad

4 hearts of romaine, torn (about 8 cups)

½ lb. cooked shrimp

½ lb. cooked sea scallops

½ lb. cooked lobster

½ lb. lump crab meat

 

Dressing

½ c. mayonnaise

¼ c. milk

2 T. golden raisins

1 T. sugar

1 t. curry powder

1 lemon juice

1 t. red wine vinegar

1 t. cocktail sauce

 

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, raisins, sugar, curry powder, lemon juice, vinegar, and cocktail sauce and blend well.  Chill.  Peel or shell seafood and steam.  Cut lobster into bite-sized pieces.  When ready to serve, toss dressing with romaine and seafood.

Hint:  Giant scallop shells are ideal serving bowls for this salad!

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07

May. ’12

Baked Sea Bass Stuffed with Shrimp, Salmon and Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 sea bass or rockfish, butterflied

2 ounces salmon or lox

1/4 lb shrimp

1 carrot

1 zucchini

1 scallion

Fresh parsley

1 garlic clove

Fresh sage and rosemary

Extra virgin olive oil

1 c. vegetable broth

1 c. White wine

Salt and Pepper

A String

Directions:

Wash the sea bass.  If it has not already been cleaned, scale and remove head, tail, fins and intestines. Using a sharp filet knife, carefully remove the backbone but leave the skin in tact.  Chop the shrimp and fresh salmon, and set aside.  Chop the fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and garlic, and combine with the shrimp and salmon.  Julienne the scallion, carrot, and zucchini and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the scallion, carrot and zucchini to the shrimp, salmon and herbs.  Mix well and stuff the sea bass.  Tie a string around the fish, so that the stuffing does not come out.  Sauté the sea bass for 2 minutes on each side in a small amount of olive oil.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, add white wine and vegetable  broth.  Loosely cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 more minutes.  Serves 4.

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28

Apr. ’12

Courgette Blossoms (Zucchini Flowers) and Fresh Sage Leaves Fried in Batter

Ingredients:

150 g (5 oz) flour

Salt and Pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

2 T. olive oil

2 egg yolks

6 T. white wine

6 T. water

16 courgette blossoms

Oil for deep-frying (1/2 vegetable oil and ½ extra-virgin olive oil)

 

Stuffing (optional)

1 c. Ricotta cheese

1 T. fresh basil, minced

½ t. Marjoram

¼ t. Garlic salt

1 egg, beaten

 

Directions:

 

To make the batter, add flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, oil and egg yolks in a bowl and beat well.  Add the wine and water gradually until the batter has a light, creamy consistency (you might need a little extra liquid).  Set aside to rest so the flour particles can swell for about 30 minutes.

Detach the green leaves from the blossoms, but leave the stems intact for holding.  Remove stamens.  To prepare stuffing, combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with a spoon.  Gently open each blossom and stuff with 2-3 tablespoons of filling.  Close flower petals and dip the flowers in the batter. Fry in hot oil until golden.  Serve hot and crisp.

 

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