Penne Pasta with Goat Cheese, Canadian Bacon and Basil with Toasted Walnuts
Yield:4-6 Servings
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces mini penne pasta
3 ounces Canadian bacon, rind removed and cut into small pieces
2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
½ - ¾ cup heavy cream
4-6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped for garnish
Salt and fresh grated black pepper
PREPARATION
Cook pasta as directed, drain and set aside in a large bowl.
In a large skillet, melt butter and then add garlic and chopped Canadian bacon.Sauté for 3-4 minutes to soften garlic and lightly brown the bacon.Stir frequently and make sure that the garlic does not burn.Lower the heat and add heavy cream to garlic and bacon mixture.Gently bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly.Remove from heat and pour sauce over the pasta.Add goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil and toss gently.Season with salt and black pepper.
To serve, plate and sprinkle with toasted walnuts and fresh chopped basil.
Manchego cheese is produced in the La Mancha region of Spain and is made from the whole milk of Manchega sheep.The cheese is rich, semi-firm and aged in natural caves for 3-6 months.It has a distinctive herringbone design embossed in the rind.The taste is slightly salty, but not too strong.The texture is creamy and a slight bit piquant – similar in taste to feta cheese, but less salty and a more chewy texture.
As with wine, Serrano ham and olive oil, Manchego cheese is protected by the government. It controls its production, ensures the exclusive use of milk from Monchega sheep and dictates an aging period (in natural caves) of a minimum of two months.
Warm Almond Crusted Monchego Cheese with Hot Garlic Vinaigrette and Toasted Almonds
Yield:2 Appetizer Servings
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1 (8-ounce) slice Manchego cheese, about 1-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
Hot Garlic Vinaigrette, recipe follows
¼ cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
PREPARATION
Set up three bowls:1 with flour, seasoned with salt and pepper; 1 with egg and 1 tablespoon of water and seasoned with salt and pepper and 1 with bread crumbs and ground almonds.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut cheese into 2 equal pieces.Dredge the cheese first in the flour, then the egg wash and finally in the bread crumbs.Place the cheese in a small cazuela, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is soft.Immediately drizzle with the Hot Garlic Vinaigrette and sprinkle with slivered almonds and parsley.Serve with warm crusty bread.
Hot Garlic Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION
Heat oil over low heat in sauté pan.Add garlic and cook until light golden brown.Remove from heat and whisk in the vinegar.Season with salt and pepper.
Source: Bobby Flay - Boy Meets Grill - Episode - Tapas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Butter 8×8x2 inch glass baking dish.Blend buttermilk, ½ cup sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, butter and salt in blender and blend until smooth.Transfer buttermilk to medium bowl.Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form.Gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar and beat until stiff, but not dry.Gently fold buttermilk mixture into whites in 3 additions (batter will be runny).
Pour batter into prepared dish.Place dish in roasting pan.Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dish.Bake until entire top is evenly browned and cakes moves slightly in center, but feels slightly springy to touch, about 45 minutes.Remove dish from roasting pan.
Cool cake completely in baking dish on rack.Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.Spoon the pudding cake into shallow bowls.Top with assorted berries.
Confused about the terms that are cropping up in the produce section of your local supermarket or when you wander around a farmer’s market?I sure have been – sustainable, local, and organic.What is the difference?I found this simple explanation in the April 2009 issue of Better Homes & Gardens.
Sustainable – The goal of sustainable agriculture is to be profitable and meet the needs of the human consumer while maintaining environmentally sound practices.Sustainable agriculture also addresses quality of life issues of the farm worker and their communities.
Organic – The USDA has defined organic foods as those produced using sustainable agricultural practices with no synthetic fertilizers, conventional pesticides or bioengineering.The USDA “Certified Organic” seal signifies that a product is made with at least 95% organic ingredients.
Natural – The FDA has not established formal guidelines for the use of the term “natural”.Generally, to use the term natural on product labels the product must not contain any added color, artificial flavor or synthetic substances.The use of “natural” does not speak to how the products ingredients are grown or produced.
Local – This is a unregulated term that generally indicates that the product was produced locally (within a 100 mile radius).The advantage of buying locally is that it supports your local economy and given the close proximity, the foods should be fresher.
To learn more about sustainable agriculture visit these sites:
Melt the butter over a low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened.Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese and the Parmesan cheese.Stir until fully blended and set aside.
To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes.Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each and sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere and bake sandwiches for 5 minutes.Turn on the broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned.Serve hot.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-½ cups raisins
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.Mix in eggs and vanilla.Reduce speed to low.Add oat mixture; mix until just combined.Mix in raisins.
Using a 1-½ inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or use a Silpat, spacing 2 inches apart.Flatten slightly.
Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes, rotating halfway through.Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes.Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.
Source:Martha Stewart – Martha Stewart’s Cookie - 2008
Wash potatoes and cut lengthwise.Toss potatoes with oil and then toss with rosemary, thyme and lemon wedges in a roasting pan.Season with salt and pepper and then roast the potatoes for approximately 25-30 minutes or until fork tender and golden brown.Stir the potatoes occasionally while roasting.Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.Serve immediately with roasted chicken.
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
¼ cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 ½ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 ounces deli ham, chopped
2 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
PREPARATION
Toss chicken pieces in about 2 tablespoons of flour, until well-coated, adding more if necessary.
In a well-oiled skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken for 6-8 minutes, turning once, or until just cooked through.Remove and set aside tenting with foil to keep warm.
Reduce heat and whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into remaining oil in the pan, adding a little more if the pan is particularly dry, until the flour is absorbed.Add chicken broth, increase heat and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits of flour stuck to the pan.Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, stirring frequently.Add chicken and ham to pan and stir to coat.Sprinkle Swiss cheese on top and cover.Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution - March 12, 2009
I’m always on the lookout for different mashed potato recipes. This one appeared in the March, 2009 edition of Bon Appetit. It has layers of flavors with the smoked Gouda cheese, bacon and tang of sour cream.
Yield: 6-8 Servings
INGREDIENTS
6 slices thick-cut bacon
3 large green onions (white and pale green parts only), finely chopped
3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-½ inch cubes
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup whole milk
½ stick butter
2 cups coarsely grated smoked Gouda cheese
PREPARATION
Butter a 13×9x2 inch baking dish.Cook bacon in heavy large skillet until golden brown and crisp.Transfer to a paper towel to drain.Chop bacon.Place in medium bowl.Add green onions, toss to distribute evenly.
Place potatoes in large pot and add enough cold water to cover.Sprinkle with salt.Cover and boil with lid slightly ajar until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.Drain well.
Return potatoes to pot.Cook over low heat, stirring often, until potatoes are dry and light film forms on the bottom, about 2 minutes.Add sour cream, milk and butter.Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until smooth.Stir in 1-½ cups smoked Gouda and 1 cup of the bacon mixture.Season with salt and pepper.Spread the potato mixture in prepared baking dish.Sprinkle remain ½ cup of Gouda over the top.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.Bake potatoes until the cheese melts and the edges of the potatoes are bubbling, about 30 minutes.Sprinkle reserved bacon mixture over the top and serve.
The buttermilk in the batter really makes the waffles light and tender.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
9 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
Pure maple syrup or another favorite syrup
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and blend.Whisk in the buttermilk and then add in 6 tablespoons of the melted butter.Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.Brush the waffle iron grids lightly on both sides with some of the melted butter.Pour ½ cup or more (depending on the size of the waffle iron grids) over each grid.Close the waffle iron and cook until the waffles are crisp and golden brown on both sides.Transfer the waffles to rack set over baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.Repeat cooking the remaining batter, brushing the grids with the melted butter between batches, as needed.
Place waffles on plates and serve with whipped butter and warm maple syrup or another favorite syrup.
