Zuppa Pavese

I found this recipe in my "Italy The Beautiful Cookbook."  I was looking for something else, but came across this and the meal was perfect for tonight and tasted delicious.  I would say this is an easy go to meal for busy times. 

Ingredients:

3 T butter

6 slices firm, course-textured bread (I had French bread in the freezer)

6 C chicken broth

Salt

6 eggs

Freshly ground pepper

6 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.       Melt butter in a saucepan and fry the bread slices on both sides until golden brown. 

2.       Divide among 6 soup bowls. 

3.       Place bowl in an oven which had been preheated to 350 degrees and turn off. 

4.       Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil, adding salt if necessary (not).

5.       Break egg onto each slice of bread, pour the boiling broth over it and add pepper to taste. 

6.       Sprinkle with chopped parsley and a little grated nutmeg if desired and serve

You cannot believe how delicious this very simple meal is.  It was perfect for today as I had to go to therapy and then grocery shopping and Christmas shopping.  I was so tired, Jim was lucky to be fed at all!  He really liked it.  

Thanksgiving Quesadillas

Last night we finally finished the Turkey day leftovers.  By that I mean that whatever is left will be flavoring for Max’s dinner.  The night before I made a really flavorful and easy meal which I found on the Weight Watchers wed site mostly made with Thanksgiving leftovers.  This is definately going to be a go to after Thanksgiving meal.   

Ingredients:

8 small corn tortillas

1 C low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

4 oz cooked turkey shredded

¼ C cranberry sauce

½ C stuffing

Cooking spray

Directions:

1.       Place 4 tortillas on a flat surface. 

2.       Sprinkle each with ¼ C cheese, 1 oz turkey, 1 T cranberry sauce, 2 T stuffing and cover with the remaining tortillas.

3.       Coat a non stick skillet large enough to hold 2 at a time over medium-high heat with cooking spray.

4.       Cook two at a time for 3 minutes per side.  If they seem to be browning too fast, turn down the heat. 

5.       Cut each tortilla into 4 wedges.  Serves 4

Obviously here it served 2.  Jim ate 3 and I had one.  We both found them surprisingly good. 

Pecan Pumpkin Buttter Pie with Cinnamon-Caramel Sauce

For dessert I made the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten.  I got the recipe from Williams-Sonoma.  This recipe can be printed directly from the Williams-Sonoma site. 

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/pecan-pumpkin-butter-pie-with-cinnamon-caramel-sauce

For this you must purchase 2 jars of Muirhead pecan pumpkin butter.  This pie is light and just plain delicious.  I did not make the cinnamon-caramel sauce.  I had caramel sauce left over from the delicious pumpkin pie I made in September.  You can find it under Saturday Dinner with Friends if you want to compare the recipes. 

I will caution you that there are some problems with this recipe as written. 

·         They say the baking time is 1 ¼ -1 ½ hours, mine was closer to 2. 

·         Also if using decorative cut outs you have to wait about an hour before putting them on the pie as they sink immediately if you put them on when you fill the shell

·         Use a very deep dish 9” pie pan.  Also finish filling in the oven as there is no way you can make it from the counter to the oven with the loose and very full shell without spilling. 

Salmon and Spinach in Puff Pastry

This recipe started out as a picture in a magazine.  It showed a curved fish in puff pastry.  The item could be ordered and was described as salmon and spinach in puff pastry.  Our friend Jim was coming for a visit and he loves salmon.  I thought I can make this as I have that very mold.  Apparently that mold was one of the many kitchen items I gave away.  In the mean time I found in Epicurious a 2005 recipe for Salmon and Spinach Roll in a Puff Pastry by Katie Brown.  It was an appetizer, but I used it as the basis for the following recipe.  

Ingredients:

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)

1 T fresh parsley, chopped

1 T fresh thyme, chopped

4 T butter

½ shallot, chopped

1 ½ C frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (use 2 boxes or one bag)

3 -8oz. salmon filets

Salt and pepper

Egg wash of 1 egg and 1 t water

Directions:

1.       Drain and squeeze the spinach until very dry.  In a skillet, melt the butter and cook the shallot until translucent.  Add the spinach to the pan and cook until warm, adding salt and pepper. 

2.       Place one sheet of puff pastry on a parchment lined baking pan.  Sprinkle the pastry with the thyme and parsley.  Place the 3 fillets on the pastry leaving at least a 3” border.  Trim the fillets to a square, placing any scraps on top of the fillets.

3.       Mound the cooled spinach mixture on the fillets taking it to the edges of the fillet. 

4.       Paint egg wash all around the exposed edge of pastry and place the second sheet of pastry on top.  Stretch the upper sheet to fit over the entire filling and extend a little beyond the exposed edge.  Tuck under and all around the pastry take a fork and press the edges together tightly. 

5.       I made some decorative slits in the top and then brushed the entire pastry with the egg wash. 

6.       This can be made to this point earlier in the day.  When ready to serve, heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. 

This recipe made 6 generous servings.  I served it with a salad as the first course and we had had drinks and appetizers.  No it was not fish shaped, but with just a little more energy, it could be done without the mold.        

Thanksgiving-Leftovers Shepherd's Pie

Black Friday, I stay away from all malls.  Mary and I went to Barbara Mandrel’s former home.  It is called Fontanel and is about 10 minutes from our house.  They have a wonderful restaurant on the grounds and we had lunch.  After the tour, we went to another area of town called Berry Hill and they we looked in a couple of cute shops.  I bought some gifts.  We got home around four.  Jim and my brother played golf.  I fixed Martha’s recipe for leftovers and then we went to Opry Land area to see the ice sculptures.  We came back home and had leftover dessert. 

Ingredients:

3 C cooked stuffing

1 C cranberry sauce

1# cooked turkey

10 oz any leftover vegetable

6 T or more of gravy

3-4 C mashed potatoes

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       In a 10” deep pie plate, mound stuffing on the bottom.      Next layer the cranberry sauce, turkey and vegetable. 

3.       Drizzle with gravy and spread the potatoes over surface to sides of the dish. 

4.       Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until heated through and potatoes are golden, about 40 minutes.

I liked this the first time I made it.  Not so much last night.  I think the flavor is totally dependent on the stuffing. 

Thanksgiving-The Finale

Thanksgiving Day dawned early.  I got the Maple Cornucopia Cake out of the freezer and decorated it with powdered sugar and paper leaves.  We had set the table after dinner on Wednesday.  I also got the rolls and mushroom turnover out of the freezer to thaw on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

I placed my brother in charge of making the Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail.    

Ingredients:

1 fl. oz. pomegranate juice

½ fl. Oz. Grand Marnier

Sparkling wine as needed

Cranberries for Garnish (They used pomegranate seeds)

Directions:

1.       Pour the pomegranate juice and Grand Marnier into a Champagne glass. 

2.       Top with sparkling wine and add the cranberries.  They will float and look great. 

Serves one.  These were a great hit with the ladies, the men switched to wine. 

I had a ton of appetizers.  I forgot the nuts, so I still have plenty in the freezer. 

Early in the day I made the Baked Mashed Potatoes with Peas, Parmesan Cheese and Breadcrumbs.  This recipe is from FoodTV, Giada De Laurentiis.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray for the pan

Potatoes:

1 T unsalted butter

2 t kosher salt, plus

4 # russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1” pieces

1 ½ C whole milk

¾ C freshly grated Parmesan

½ C unsalted butter, melted

Freshly ground black pepper

Peas:

2 T unsalted butter

2 C frozen peas, thawed

½ t kosher salt

¼ t freshly ground black pepper

Topping:

½ C freshly grated Parmesan

2 T plain dry breadcrumbs

EVOO for drizzling

Directions:

1.       This dish can be made 6 hours ahead of time.  When ready to serve, heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 13”x9” pan with cooking spray.

2.       In a large saucepan, combine the butter, salt and potatoes.  Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 1”.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil until the potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and return them to the same pot.  Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth.

3.       Mix in the mozzarella, milk, Parmesan and butter.  Season with salt and pepper. 

4.       Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish and make a 4” deep well in the middle of the potatoes.

5.       In a medium skillet, melt the butter over heat.  Add the peas and cook until heated through.  Add salt and pepper.  Fill the well with the peas.

6.       Make the topping by stirring the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend.  Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. 

7.       Drizzle the top with EVOO and bake until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. 

The Brussels Sprouts with Maple Syrup were a pain in the butt for a last minute thing and really did not taste that good.  They were from the October Bon Appetite.    

Ingredients:

4T EVOO, divided, plus more for drizzling

2 # Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved lengthwise

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ C pure maple syrup

2 T unsalted butter

2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 ½ T thinly sliced freak chives

1 T thinly sliced fresh sage

Directions:

1.       Heat 2 T EVOO in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Working in 2 batches and adding 2 more T EVOO between batches, cook Brussels sprouts, cut side down in a single layer in skillet until deep golden brown, 4-5 minutes.  Season Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper and toss, cook until tender, 3-4 minutes longer.  Transfer to a large bowl.

2.       Remove skillet from heat; add maple syrup, butter, and herbs to pan. 

3.       Once butter has melted, add Brussels sprouts to skillet and toss to coat.   

I left them in the pan on low with a cover, as they were still hard.  I really needed at this point an oven ready vegetable.  My friend Carole made ahead a green bean recipe that would have been better.   

Meanwhile Jim is grilling the turkey.  We brined the turkey in an Autumn Spice Brine from Williams Sonoma.  We also used their Pomegranate Glaze.  The turkey was perfect. 

 

Let’s talk gravy.  It turned out, but the directions did not work with my available equipment. 

Ingredients: 

Pan drippings from roasted turkey

1 C Madeira

6 T vegetable oil

1 # shallots, peeled and halved

6 T all-purpose flour

4 C turkey stock

2 bay leaves

4 large fresh sage sprigs

Kosher salt and pepper

Directions:

1.       Place the roasting pan with the pan drippings on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.  Pour in the Madeira and deglaze the pan, stirring with a whisk and scrape up the browned bits, until the liquid is slightly reduced.  About 2 minutes. 

2.       Carefully strain the contents of the pan into a gravy separator and set aside.  Already I was in trouble as this was more than my separator could handle.  I needed to get rid of the roasting pan as I needed the burner space.  I did the best I could to spoon off the fat and then just put the contents in a saucepan with the turkey stock and the turkey neck.

3.       In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil.  Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 10-15 minutes.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the stock and add the bay leaves, and sage sprigs.  Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes.  Right after I added the shallots to the skillet, I realized the “sauté pan” was going to be way too small.  The only pan within reach was my wok.  I dumped the contents into the wok and proceeded with the flour and then ladle by ladle added the stock-drippings mixture. 

4.       So now I have a wok full of gravy with all kinds of herbs and shallots that the recipe says to remove.  The best way to do this is with a strainer.  This is a lot of hot liquid you are dealing with and everyone is dressed up.  So you need one to hold the strainer who is strong enough to hold it as over a bowl that will have over a pound of molten vegetables dumped into it.  Then you need someone strong enough to hold the wok full of molten liquid over the strainer and pour slowly so that as each golf ball sized shallot falls it does not splash the person holding the strainer.  This all has to be accomplished near the sink as the sink is now full of oversized pots that will not fit in the dishwasher. 

I think forget the drippings and make the gravy the day before.  Keep it warm on the stove and if you have drippings that you want to add, have Jim take the roasting pan back to the grille with a small amount of liquid and make sure he has no more than a cup of liquid to put in the special gravy separator.  

So that is the sage of Thanksgiving from the cook’s point of view.  I liked the mushroom turnovers, the pomegranate champagne cocktail.  The turkey, gravy, rolls, cranberry compote, and potatoes were great.  The Brussels sprouts, not good.  The stuffing was disappointing. 

 

The desserts were good.  It is hard to ruin dessert.  The Cornucopia Cake makes a better decoration than it does dessert.  Quite frankly I was so exhausted, I drank the wine Jim served and fed my meal to Max.  He had a very good Thanksgiving.   

Moistest-Ever Pumpkin Pie Muffins

Everyone is on their own on Thanksgiving morning, but to make it easier, I made these muffins.  They were in the USA weekend and are an Ellie Krieger recipe.  I know that I could have gotten pumpkin seeds at Whole Foods or Trader Jo’s, but there was no way I was going near those stores the day before Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 C all-purpose flour

1 C whole-grain pastry flour or whole-wheat flour

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 t ground cinnamon

½ t ground ginger

¼ t ground cloves

1/8 t ground nutmeg

¾ C firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 T unsulfured molasses

¼ C canola oil

2 large eggs

1 C canned solid-pack pumpkin (I used the whole can)

1 t vanilla extract

¾ C low-fat buttermilk

¼ C unsalted raw pumpkin seeds (I substituted pine nuts)

(Added ¾ C currents)

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

2.       In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt and spices.

3.       In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, molasses, oil, and of the eggs until combined.

4.       Add the other egg and whisk well. 

5.       Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla.

6.       Stir in the flour mixture in tow batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined.  Stir in the currents if using.

7.       Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each one about 2/3 full, and sprinkle the surface with the nuts. 

8.       Bake about 20 minutes.  Mine took 30 minutes; probably do to the extra pumpkin and the currents. 

9.       Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. 

Yield is 12 muffins.  I put out bowls of fruit to go with the muffin. 

Apple-Ginger-Cranberry Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

This is the last of the Thanksgiving meal I am making ahead of time.  It is also from Williams Sonoma, but I have found a problem.  The rest of the day I will be making breakfast muffins and pre-peeling all the vegetables for tomorrow. 

Ingredients:

2 rolled-out rounds of pie dough

4# Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 ½ C cranberries

¼ C chopped crystallized ginger

¾ C sugar, plus more for sprinkling

¼ t salt

3 T all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 egg plus 1 t water, lightly beaten

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions:

1.       Remove 1 dough round from the refrigerator.  Roll out to fit the largest deepest pie pan you own.  Mine was about 2” deep and 12” in diameter.  The filling made a mound so high that Martha would be proud.  The recipe says a 9” pie pan.  No way.  Fit the dough in the bottom and trim the edges.  Reroll the scraps to cut out decorative shapes.  Put both in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

2.       Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

3.       In a large bowl, toss together the apples, cranberries, crystallized ginger, the ¾ C sugar, salt, 3 T flour and the lemon juice.

4.       Take the pie shell, decorations and second disk out of the refrigerator and let rest for 5 minutes. 

5.       Pour the filling in the pie plate and place the second crust over the top.  Wrap the extra dough under the lower crust and crimp the edges decoratively.  Cut the top pastry with a knife decoratively in the middle. 

6.       Brush the decorations with egg wash and stick on the pastry.  Brush the entire crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. 

7.       Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, about an hour.  (Mine took 1 hour and 10 minutes.)  It did leak, so bake on a sheet pan so you don’t have to clean your oven.

8.       Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream.  No, I did not make the ice cream.       

Corn Bread and Ham Stuffing with Caramelized Apples and Fennel +Mushroom Turnovers

I pooped out last night and didn’t get my mushroom turnovers done.  So I had to do double duty today.  The first thing I did was make the mushroom stuffing as it had to cool to room temperature before stuffing the pastry.  Next I made the stuffing up to the final cooking, which I will do on Thursday.  Both of these recipes are from the William Sonoma Thanksgiving. 

Ingredients for Stuffing:

2 T butter

2 T EVOO

12 oz. ham, cut into ¼” dice

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and diced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced (I did not peel, the peel is good for you)

1 large leek, white and light green portions, thinly sliced

½ t kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 packet corn bread stuffing (Williams-Sonoma)

½ C thinly sliced green onions, white and green portions

4-4 ½ C chicken or turkey stock, warmed

Directions:

1.       When ready to bake heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.       In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 6-8 minutes.  Transfer the ham to a very large bowl. 

3.       Add the fennel, apples and leek to the pan and cook, without stirring for 2 minutes.  Add the 2T butter, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel mixture is golden, 4-6 minutes. 

4.       Transfer to the bowl with the ham. 

5.       Add the stuffing and green onion and stir until well combined.

6.       Stir in the stock ½ C at a time, making sure it is completely absorbed into the croutons and does not pool in the bottom of the bowl.  I have about 3 C of stock in the stuffing now.  It is covered and in the refrigerator.  I will put another cup in before cooking on Thursday. 

7.       Transfer to a buttered 13”x9” baking pan. 

8.       To bake, cover the pan with aluminum foil.  Bake covered for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and crisp, about 25 more minutes. 

9.       Let rest for 10 minutes.

This serves 10 to 12.  Double the people coming, this means that all 6 of us can have leftovers the next day. 

Ingredients for the Mushroom Turnover Appetizer:

2 T unsalted butter

2 T EVOO

3 T finely chopped shallot

12 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

1 ½ t chopped fresh thyme

1 ½ t finely chopped rosemary

½ C heavy cream

1 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

1 batch double-crust pie dough (made earlier)

1 egg lightly beaten with 1 T water

Directions:

1.       In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the oil. 

2.       Add the shallot and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 40 seconds. 

3.       Add the mushrooms, thyme and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender 6-7 minutes. 

4.       Add the cream and simmer for about 15 seconds, then remove from the heat and fold in the cheese. 

5.       Let the filling cool to room temperature.

6.       Roll out the dough one disc at a time to about 1/8” thick.  You will be making 24 of these pastries, so 12 per disc.  Don’t worry about re-rolling.  WS sells a bunch of different products to make these pockets.  I have different size discs that range from the size I use for pot stickers to calzone size.  I used the smallest one to make little half-moon sized container for about 1T of the filling. 

7.       Deviating from the recipe, the little stuffed pockets are on a parchment tray in the freezer.  When totally frozen I will transfer to plastic bags for storage. 

8.       When you bake, brush the pastry with an egg wash and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. 

I plan to only cook 10 of these on Thursday as I have nuts, olives, cheeses, and onion dip.  Way too many appetizers, but way too much is what Thanksgiving is all about.  Jim is getting salad with tuna for dinner tonight.  After dinner I am going to do the heated part of the brine.  It can cool naturally overnight and I will finish it tomorrow.