Sundried Tomato - Goat Cheese - Prosciutto Tart

If you are craving some mediterranean flavors, here is a recipe that you might enjoy. The other day I was checking what I had in the fridge that I needed to use and I spotted this goat cheese left over from another dish I made before. After searching for several recipes, I ended up mixing two from one of my favorite chefs: Ina Garten. So here we go!


Ingredients:

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers (I minced)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
10 1/2 ounces plain goat cheese
1 tspn. Herbs de Provence
1 cup heavy cream
3 extra-large eggs
6 sun-dried tomatoes julienned
2 slices prosciutto, julienned


Directions:

Roll the dough on a well-floured board and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable sides, rolling the pin over the top to cut off the excess dough, with the help of a fork, prick the dough to avoid bubbles while baking. Once the dough is ready, sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top of it and refrigerate until ready to use.



Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the goat cheese in the bowl of the food processor and process until crumbly. Add the cream, rest of parmesan cheese, eggs, herbs de provence, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and process until blended.

Scatter the cooked onion mixture over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over it to fill the shell.



Arrange the sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto strips on top of it and finish with some fresh parmesan slices. (I also sprinkled some dried oregano on top)



Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tart is firm when shaken and the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.




Source: Food Network - Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten (Adapted from Back to Basics & Barefoot in Paris Cookbooks)

Pancutras (Pantrucas) - Chilean Soup with dumplings

This is one of the most comforting soups to have on a very cold day. My mom made it for us especially during winter. Since I live here now, it is hard to make it just like her... so here is my take on the most delicious chilean soup with dumplings!


Ingredients:


- For the dumplings:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbspn. olive oil
1/4 tspn. kosher salt
1/3 cup warm water or more (you only need some to get the dough together)


- For the soup:

2 quarts chicken stock, beef stock, or water.
Olive oil
1 regular sweet onion, sliced thinly
1 small sweet onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. green bell pepper, diced
1 Lb. ground beef (good quality)
4 potatoes, pealed and diced
2 large carrot, cut into thin sticks
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 eggs
fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped), for garnish


Directions:

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and drizzle olive oil into it. Add the minced onions, bell pepper and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until is brown. Add the potatoes, carrot sticks and sliced onions for 2 minutes. Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer slowly.

In the meantime, you can start working on the dumplings. Mound the flour on a medium size bowl and make a wide well in the middle. Sprinkle the salt and add the oil on the center. With a fork start combining the flour with the oil and salt. Add the warm water slowly until the dough is moist. Transfer to a floured surface and kneed until soft (a couple minutes). Roll the dough thinly (about 1/8") and cut into little squares (about 1").

Once the potatoes are cooked, add the frozen peas and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add the dumplings and cook for a couple minutes. Break the eggs (the idea is to keep the yolk intact) on top and fold gently. Let it simmer for 1 more minute and stop cooking. Let the soup rest for 10 minutes and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Basic Chicken Stock

When I came to the US, I thought buying liquid chicken stock was so awesome. You just needed to go to a grocery store and grab a can ready to use... after being here for almost five years, I've come to a conclusion: still it is convenient to go and grab that chicken stock can/box at the grocery store... BUT if you can make it yourself at home... THAT IS AWESOME! I don't know if it is cheaper than the can thing, but I know for sure what I am adding to my dishes, and please there is no way to compare in flavor!

So, if you find to have a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon that you would like to give this one a try, then go and get your veggies, chicken and pot ready!


Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken thighs and legs, skins removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 bay leaves
10 sprigs thyme


Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chicken thighs and legs on a sheet pan. Lightly coat with oil and roast until golden, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Coat a large, deep stock pot lightly with olive oil. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and bring it to a medium high heat. Cook the vegetables stirring frequently until they start to get soft and are very aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and add to the pot of vegetables along with the bay leaves and thyme. Fill the pot with water. Place the pot on a burner on high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Eventually a gray scum will form on the top of the water. Skim the scum and the fat off the top of the water. Simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Refill the water as it evaporates.

Strain stock and discard the chicken and veggies. Store the stock in smallish containers, plastic pint and quart containers from Chinese take out are perfect! Recycle! If not using right away freeze for later use.




Source: Food Network - Recipe courtesy of Ann Burrell

Ricotta-Taleggio Ravioli with Wild Mushroom Sauce

My good friend Paul gave me a Food Network Magazine subscription for my birthday. I got my first one this week. The recipe that follows is from it, and I highly recommend it for those pasta lovers!. It is a rustic wild mushroom sauce over these amazing three cheeses homemade ravioli... yummy!


Ingredients:

- For the Dough:

1 pound all-purpose flour (about 33/4 cups), plus more for dusting
5 large eggs
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Semolina or polenta, for the baking sheet


- For the Filling:

2 cups sheep's milk ricotta cheese
1 cup diced taleggio cheese
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated parmiggiano-reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt


- For the Sauce:

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup diced pancetta
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup each shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms, sliced
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives


Directions:


Make the dough. Mound the flour on a large cutting board and make a wide well in the middle. Add the eggs and olive oil and season with salt. Beat the eggs with a fork, then use the fork to break the wall of the well and incorporate the flour into the eggs. Gather the dough into a ball; don't worry if there are lumps.

Knead the dough. Using the heels of your hands, push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself and push again (put your whole body into it!). Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and supple, 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at least 1 hour at room temperature.

Mix the filling. Mix the ricotta, taleggio, eggs, parmigiano and parsley in a bowl and season with salt. Transfer the filling to a large pastry bag and refrigerate.

Roll out the dough. Cut the dough into four pieces. Flatten one piece slightly, then run it through the widest setting on a pasta roller twice, dusting with flour in between if it feels sticky. Fold the length of dough into thirds and run it through the roller two to three more times. Continue running the dough through the roller, reducing the width setting between each run, until you reach the second-to-last setting and the dough is about 1/16 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Layer half of the dough sheets between parchment paper, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month (you'll only need half of the dough for the ravioli recipe).

Assemble the ravioli. Place the lengths of dough on a floured surface. Lightly brush the lower half of each strip (the part closest to you) with water. Snip the corner off the pastry bag; pipe 1-inch balls of filling, 2 inches apart, onto the lower half of each strip. Fold the dough over the filling to meet the bottom edge. Press around each ball of filling with your index fingers, making sure there are no air bubbles. Cut out the ravioli using a 2-to-3-inch round fluted cutter. Transfer to a baking sheet dusted with semolina.

Make the sauce. Drizzle olive oil into a large deep pan. Add the pancetta and garlic and place over medium-high heat. When the garlic is light brown and fragrant, discard it. When the pancetta is crisp, add the mushrooms, season with salt and saute until the mushrooms are soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, season with salt and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the butter and cook, shaking the pan, until the sauce thickens and looks velvety. Season with salt, if necessary.

Cook the ravioli. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil; add the ravioli and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a skimmer or slotted spoon to the pan with the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, shaking the pan. Sprinkle in the cheese and swirl to combine. Garnish with chives and more cheese.


Source: Recipe courtesy Ann Burrell for Food Network Magazine

Pasta Salad with Tuna

I make this dish at least once a month. It's so fresh and a good way to hide some veggies for the kiddos. You can double this recipe very easily too.


Ingredients:

1/2 pound wide egg noodles
1 can Starkist Chunk Light Tuna in water (5 oz.)
1/2 sweet red onion, finely diced
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped (You can use flat leaf parsley)
1 cup frozen carrots and peas
1/3 cup mayo
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Lemon Juice of one small lemon


Directions:

Bring a pot to boil with salted water and cook pasta according to package instructions. One minute before the pasta is done, add the peas and carrots and cook. Drain the pasta and pour into a big salad bowl.

Open the can of tuna, drain and rinse under fresh water (use a fine mesh). Drain again and toss it into the bowl with the noodles.

Add the chopped onion (you can use shallots if you like it better) and cilantro leaves. Add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the mayo and toss until well combined. Enjoy!

The perfect Marinara Sauce

I've tried several recipes for marinara sauce and finally I found this one that is really easy to make and has that beautiful and silky flavor, ideal for fresh pasta!


Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves


Directions:

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)


Source: Food Network - Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

RIch, decadent, velvety... no much to add...


Ingredients:
(Makes about 4 cups)

6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened


Directions:

Whip the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until slightly thickened and pale yellow, 4 to 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, about 3 minutes.

Without letting the hot sugar mixture cool off, turn the mixer to low and slowly pour the warm sugar syrup into the whipped egg yolks without hitting the side of the bowl or the beaters. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip the mixture until it is light and fluffy and the bowl is no longer warm, 5 to 10 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the vanilla and salt. Gradually add the butter, one piece at a time, until completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip the buttercream until smooth and silky, about 2 minutes. (If the mixture looks curdled, wrap a hot, wet towel around the bowl and continue to whip until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes).

Source: The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book