Author Archives: Andy

SPINACH ARTICHOKE PINWHEELS

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    • 1 Package of frozen puff pastry

    • 1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

    • 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

    • 1/3 cup black olives chopped

    • ½ cup mayonnaise

    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

    • 1 tsp. onion powder

    • 1 tsp. garlic powder

    • ½ tsp. pepper

Drain thawed spinach well, squeezing to remove water.  Combine
spinach with remaining ingredients.
Unfold one sheet of pastry onto lightly floured surface.  Roll out slightly to thin a bit and remove the fold lines.  Spread half of mix on
dough leaving about ½ inch on one end to seal.
Roll up jelly roll style and seal edge.
Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes.  Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut each roll into 12 slices.  Place on baking sheet and back for 20 minutes until golden brown.

ITALIAN CHEESE PIE

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  • 15 OZ. Ricotta cheese – beat with mixer until creamy

  • ¾ cup sugar

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 ½ tsp. flour

  • 1 tsp. vanilla

  • ½ tsp. grated lemon peel

Mix all of the above with mixer for filling

 Crust:

  • 1 ½ cup flour

  • 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • Sift and set aside.

  • 3 T. butter

  • ¼ c. sugar

  • 1 egg

  • ½ tsp. vanilla

  • ½ tsp. orange peel

  • 1 T. orange juice

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and remaining ingredients.  Add flour mixture in halves. Turn onto board and knead well.  Let rest.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit ½ of the dough in
a pie shell and brush with egg white.
Add custard.  Roll remaining dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut in 10 strips, each ½ inch wide.  Criss cross 5 across and 5 at 90 degrees.  Brush with egg yolk and 1 T. water.  Place foil 2 inches wide around edge of crust to prevent over browning.
Bake 50 minutes.  Cool and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

CHICKEN FROM MAMA AGATA

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  • Prepare at least four days before (and after store in refrigerator for several weeks)

  • 1 bottle white wine

  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

  • 8 leaves fresh sage.

  • Place the rosemary and sage in a warm oven for a few minutes until you begin to smell the scent and then place them in the bottle with the white wine.

  • 1 small chicken cut into pieces with skin on

  • 5 cloves garlic chopped in half

  • 2 t. salt

  • 1 T. dried sage

  • 1 T. dried rosemary

  • 1 cup of herb wine

  • 1 T. Italian parsley chopped

  • Juice of 2 large or 4 small lemons

Heat up a non-stick skillet until very hot.  Add garlic andstir with wooden spoon.  Do not let it burn.  Then add chicken skin side down to hot pan.  Chicken should sizzle.  Add half the salt, rosemary and sage.  Do not turn chicken until under side has caramelized.  Then flip and add remaining rosemary, sage and salt.  Caramelize this side.  Then lower flame, cover pan and cook for about 20 minutes.  Uncover and add wine to pan.  Continue to cook until wine
reduces.  At the end, just before serving add chopped parsley and fresh lemon juice.

BEAN AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

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    • 1 pound dried small white beans (Navy), picked over, soaked overnight in cold water and drained

    • 6 cups chicken stock

    • 3 carrots peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice

    • 2 bay leaves

    • 2 cloves garlic minced

    • 1 ½ T. grainy Dijon mustard

    • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

    • 1 ¼ cups olive oil

    • S & P to taste

    • 1 medium red onion chopped

    • 12 ounces Montrachet goat cheese crumbled

    • ½ cup pine nuts toasted

    • 1 bunch of parsley chopped

Place beans, chicken stock, carrots, and bay leaves in a large saucepan.  Heat to boiling, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.  Reduce heat and
simmer uncovered just until the beans are tender (about 30 minutes).  Remove from heat and drain.  Meanwhile mix the garlic, mustard and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Whisk in the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss the warm beans with the dressing.
Add the onion, goat cheese, pine nuts and parsley to the salad and toss
to combine well.  Serve at room temperature.  Makes 8-10 servings.

PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS SALAD

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    • 3 pounds of shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked until just opaque

    • 2 pounds of small pasta shells cooked al dente, rinsed under cold water and drained

    • 1 bunch scallions, white bulbs and green stalks, sliced

    • 1 red bell pepper,seeded and cut into fine julienne strips

    • 1 ½ pounds sugar snap peas, blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds, cooled under cold running water and drained.

    •  Dressing:

    • 3 T. tomato paste

    • 3 T. fresh lemon juice

    • ½ cup dry vermouth

    • 4 hard-cooked eggs

    • 3 T. fresh tarragon

    • 3 cups Hellmann’s mayonnaise

    • S&P to taste

    • 2 T. Pernod

Place 2 ½ pounds of the shrimp in a large mixing bowl. (Reserve the remaining ½  pound for the dressing).  Add the pasta and peas to the shrimp and toss to combine.  Stir in the scallions and red pepper.  Place the reserved shrimp, tomato paste, lemon juice, eggs and tarragon in a processor and process until smooth.  Season to taste with S&P.  Add mayonnaise and process again until smooth.  Season with S& P.  Add Pernod.  Process once more just to blend.  Pour dressing over pasta salad and toss thoroughly.  Serve at one or refrigerate for several hours.  Makes 10-12 servings.

MOUSSAKA

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  • 3 large eggplants

  • Salt

  • 2 pounds lean ground lamb

  • ¼ to ½ cup olive oil

  • 2 medium onions coarsely chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 ½ T. ground cinnamon

  • ½ T. grated nutmeg

  • 2 t. dried oregano

  • 1 can (14 ounces) whole tomatoes undrained

  • 1 cup dry red wine

  • Freshly ground pepper

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

  • ½ stick unsalted butter

  • 6 T. flour

  • 4 cups hot mill

  • ½ t. grated nutmeg

  • S&P to taste

  • 3 large eggs beaten

  • 5 cups (about ¾ pound) of Italian sharp cheese.  I use aged Provolone, Parmesan Reggiano, or the like

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from each eggllllplant in long strips, leaving a few narrow purple stripes of skin.  Cut eggplant crosswise into ½ inch
thick slices.  Sprinkle slices with salt and lay on paper towels to absorb moisture. Place lamb and 1 T. of oil in skillet.
Cook, crumbling meat with a fork over medium heat until meat begins to
lose its pink color.  Add onions and garlic to lamb and cook for 10
minutes.  Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, and oregano and cook 1 minute.  Stir in canned tomatoes, wine, and S& P to taste. Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from heat.

 Meanwhile, cook egg plant.  Pat slices dry with paper towel.  Saute in minimum olive oil until lightly brown on both sides.  DON’T USE TOO MUCH OIL OR THEY WILL BE SOGGY.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Melt butter in saucepan
over medium high heat.  Add flour and whisk until smooth.  Cook, stirring
constantly for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in milk; cook stirring constantly until smooth and thick.  Season with nutmeg and S&P to taste.  Stir ½ cup of the hot sauce into the beaten eggs.  And then stir egg-sauce mixture into the remaining sauce.  Cook several minutes longer stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.  To assemble, arrange half the eggplant in a large casserole (17 x 12)  Spread all of the lamb sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half the cheese.
Top with remaining  eggplant.  Pour the béchamel over all and sprinkle with
remaining cheese.  Bake for 1 hour.  Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate
overnight.  Let the moussaka warm to room temperature before reheating.  Bake in a 350 degree oven about 30 minutes.  Makes  12-14 servings. cook for 10
minutes. 

Vegetables Citronnade

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  • 1 large head cauliflower broken into 1 ½ inch flowerets

  • 1 large head broccoli broken into 1 ½ inch flowerets

  • 1 ½ pounds carrots peeled and sliced diagonally to ½ inch thickness

  • 1 medium summer squash sliced in ¼ inch thick

  • 2 medium zucchini sliced ½ inch thick

  • 1 ½ pounds sugar snap peas, strings removed

  • 1 red bell pepper cut into thin julienne strips

  •  Mayonnaise:

  • 1 large egg yolk and1 large egg

  • 2 T. Dijon mustard

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

  • 1 ½ cup vegetable oil

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  • 1 T. finely grated lemon zest

  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

  • 1 T. grated orange zest for garnish

Steam each vegetable except for red pepper separately just until crisp/tender.  Refresh under cold water to stop cooking and drain.  Combine all vegetables, including red pepper in a large bowl.  Place eggs, mustard, garlic and lemon juice in processor and process until blended.  Add oil in a thin, steady stream through the feeder tube to make a thick emulsion.
Season with S & P.  Add grated lemon zest and process just to blend.
Toss vegetables with mayonnaise to coat. Add parsely and orange zest on top.
Refrigerate no longer than 12 hours before serving.

SALMON: BAKED VAL CHEYNE STYLE

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This makes a great salmon to use in a Salad Nicoise or over a bed of sautéed spinach.

  •  Juice of one lemon
  • Grated rind of one lemon
  • 3 T. olive oil
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 clove of garlic chopped
  • 2 t. Dijon mustard

Mix the above with a wire whisk.  Pour over fresh salmon filets (this mixture is good for up to 1 pound of salmon).  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Bake salmon, covered with marinade, for 12 minutes.   Serve hot, room temp, or cold.  It is perfectly done and great at any temperature.  Can be cooked ahead of time, brought on a picnic, or just kept in the refrigerator and hauled out when you want it.

GREEN BEAN AND ROASTED PEPPER SALAD

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This recipe is directional more than specific ingredients and quantities.

 For four persons:

Drop ½ pound of haricot verts into boiling water.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Drain and cool beans.  When just warm, mix with 2-3 T. vinaigrette dressing.   When beans have marinated several hours, divide into four “piles” on four salad plates.  Lay over the top of each pile, two pieces of roasted red pepper (I just buy them in the jar, but you can, of course, use ones you roast yourself).  Place a dollop (about 3 T.) of garlic boursin cheese on top of the roasted red pepper.  Sprinkle the cheese with a mixture of fresh chopped herbs (I use basil, parsley, and thyme).  Scatter 6-7 Kalamata olives around the bean pile.  Very tasty mix of flavors and very colorful.

LEMON PUDDIDNG CAKES – MEYER LEMON RECIPE

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  • 1 Tablespoon butter for buttering the baking dish

  • 6 large eggs separated

  • 2 cups mile (I use whole)

  • 2.5 Tablespoons grated lemon zest

  • ½ cup lemon juice

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • ½ cups all purpose flour

  • ½ tsp salt

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter baking dish or ramekins. I use either a 9×13 baking dish or 10-11 ramekins.    You need a roasting pan large enough to put the baking dish or all of the ramekins inside and then be able to add hot water to the pan.  Separate the eggs and put the whites in a bowl large enough to whip them.  In a medium sized bowl combine the yolks with the milk, lemon zest and lemon juice.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt.  Add the wet mixture (yolks, zest and juice) to the dry mixture and stir until blended.  Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipped egg whites, about 2 cups at a time, into the bowl with the lemon batter until it is all combined.  Be careful not to over mix so that it goes flat.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared pans.  For the 6 oz ramekins, I fill them up until about ½ inch from the top.  Set the baking dish or ramekins inside the larger roasting pan and add hot water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the baking dishes.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set.  The top will puff up and become golden, but the bottom will still be very soft.  Remove from the oven and from the roasting pan and set the baking dish(s) on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.  Best served warm or at room temperature.

*This recipe works well cut in half if you don’t want to make so much.