Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil and Pesto Stacks

You can make these for a simple lunch (place on a bed of arugula) or as a side dish for a meal.  They look gorgeous on the plate, are easy to eat and simple to make.
Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 Vine ripened tomatoes 
  • 2 large, fresh mozzarella balls
  • 8 large basil leaves
  • 2 T pre-made pesto (if you have the time, make your own pesto)
Directions:
  • Slice tomatoes into 8- 1/4 inch slices
  • Slice mozzarella into 8 - 1/4 inch slices
  • To make stacks, place 1 slice of tomato, followed by 1 basil leaf, 1 slice of mozzarella, then 1/2 t of pesto - repeat. Essentially each stack will have 2 slices of tomato, mozzarella, 2 basil leaves and 1t pesto.

Eclectic Spring Dinner Party: Cioppino and more


It's been quite a few months since I've hosted a dinner party.  Maybe I was a tad burned out from the holiday hoopla or maybe it was the monotonous half-completed home projects or possibly the push to change careers or perhaps the impromptu road trip...hard to say!  What I do know is that it was long overdue.  While I haven't finished (not even close) to my mile long to-do list, I found this urge to have a girls dinner.  I wanted to expand my table to include not just my usual crew,  but a mix of new and old friends and their daughters.  To continue with 'mix it up' attitude, I decided to mix a few tried and true dishes with some fresh and new items.  The anticipation of hosting new people with some of my legacy loves meant it would be an evening of firsts and I was certainly feeling I had arrived at my happy place.  


I was feeling like celebrating and being a tad decedent.  I was thinking surf and turf with gorgeous wines.  I had received a lovely delivery of perfect tomatoes from Door to Door Organics as well as some fresh basil and mozzarella, so Tomato Stacks were a no-brainer.  While I love going to Whole Foods and chatting it up with the butcher and seafood masters, I decided to hit Coscto.  I found an amazing beef tenderloin...so the stand-by Jack Daniels Peppercorn sauce was a must. While contemplating splurging on crab legs, I stumbled upon a mix of various shellfish.  It was reasonably priced, looked amazing and was certainly a healthy quantity.  But what to make?  Cioppino?  Never made it - but was kind of missing San Francisco and as a California native, it seems like something I should know how to make.  After all, my guests were from NY, CT, KS, CA and we were hopeful to have a Canadian as well!  So taking all of this into consideration, the menu was set.  

With the ingredients in the refrigerator, the guest list confirmed all that was left was to set the table and get cooking!  Since we were to have 6 women and 6 kids using both the kitchen table and the dining room table was a must - but I didn't want to have a formal affair. I wanted it to feel as eclectic as my menu, my mood, my guests and our  Colorado spring weather.  With the help of my little chefs, we set out to use a mixture of colored vases, fresh cut mountain spring flowers,  special china and everyday porcelain, woven and stainless flatware, bamboo place mats and our semi shabby chic tables were set!   

Finally it was time to gather all our ingredients and create magic. My labor of love.  I typically select a menu that will allow me spend more time with my guests and less time at the stove.  This was a 90% do ahead meal - so essentially the last 10 minutes  I leveraged everyone to help plate and serve.   

The people most certainly made the night, but the prep work with food, flowers and my daughters nourished my soul before anyone arrived.


From my kitchen to yours...

Menu:
Appetizers

The Main Event

Dessert
  • Patsy Teuton's homemade carrot cake (I'll try and get her recipe - it was DELISH)

Cioppino

Ingredients:

  • 2 T EVOO
  • 1T unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 1/4 C dry white wine (save 1/4 C for last minute)
  • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 8-ounce bottles clam juice
  • 1 large sprig rosemary
  • 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 3-4 pounds any mix of shellfish: mussels (debearded), clams (scrubbed), shrimp (cleaned), scallops and squid (I bought a nice bag of mixed, cleaned shellfish at Costco - near the crab legs.  Many Cioppino recipes call for white fish or salmon as well - feel free to add what you like).
For serving:
  • Flat-leaf parsley leaves 
  • Toasted country bread, rubbed with garlic and olive oil 

Instructions:
  • Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. 
  • Add onion, shallots and garlic, cook until softened, 8-10 minutes. 
  • Add basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes; stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. 
  • Add 2 C wine and cook for around 4 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, crushing with your hands as you add them.Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15-20 minutes. 
  • Add clam juice, parsley, bay leaves, rosemary sprig; season with salt and pepper. 
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until flavors meld, 10-15 minutes more. Discard parsley sprigs, rosemary and bay leaves. 
  • DO AHEAD TIP: I did the above steps hours before my guests arrived.  You can then do the final steps 5-10 minutes before you're ready to serve.
  • Bring broth to a simmer and add shellfish mixture and final 1/4 C of wine. 
  • Turn broth to a medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells open (discard any that do not open), about 5- 8 minutes.
  • Divide among bowls; top with roughly chopped parsley and place toasted, crusty bread in each bowl.  

Monday, November 19, 2012

Thanksgiving Side Dishes – Old, New and Borrowed

Thanksgiving Side Dishes – Old, New and Borrowed


I am a total traditionalist and typically make my holiday menu strictly from legacy family favorites. I do this not only because my family has some amazing recipes, but also because while I cook each dish it conjures special memories of that person…or the holiday we shared together.

I feel the same about setting the table, arranging the flowers and cleaning the silver. I think of the linen from my great grandmother. Sure it has some spots and is thinning in certain areas, but like family – not perfect, but means so much. I like to see her monogram in the corner, it makes me feels she’s with us and lets her know she’s remembered and loved. I also love to share all the stories with my girls and to see their excitement when they get to help polish the crystal, place the china and create the name cards. They now are old enough and have heard the stories enough, to know what came from who and where to place the centerpiece so it covers the yellow spot.

Last year my daughter Hannah asked me what my favorite holiday was –I easily answered Thanksgiving. I use an example that an amazing co-worker shared with me years ago. She highlighted that Thanksgiving is the one holiday where nobody is required to wear a costume or buy, wrap and ship gifts. It’s the holiday where all that’s needed is family, friends and feast. To me, that makes it a darned near perfect holiday. Yes it can add expense and work, but Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be full of stress and debt – actually a lot of the food is truly basic, easy to make the day before and is pretty inexpensive. I loved sharing that with Hannah and while no doubt she LOVES dressing in costumes and getting gifts, I could tell she got it and maybe even agreed.

When I think of my Thanksgiving menu, it typically includes… Grandma Groat’s bread stuffing, Aunt Connie’s pecan yams, I cook the turkey in Granny’s electric oven (as to leave my oven open for side-dishes), my mom’s luscious cheesecake, Pam’s feta green beans and wild rice, sausage stuffing, and cranberries, Aunt Meredi’s mashers…and of course I am the first to note DON’T ASK ME TO DRIVE THE GRAVY (Thank goodness for Trader Joes, William Sonoma and WHOLE FOODS). But like many things in my life, I am finally learning to appreciate that traditions are intended to flex and evolve. That all of these special traditions are passed on from generation to generation and are not tarnished by adding new twists, meals and partaking in someone else’s traditions can make Thanksgiving even that much more special.

I am looking forward to heading up to Steamboat Springs tomorrow, bringing a few of my family favorites and enjoying some new ones as well. Here are a few dishes you may look to add to your spread this week.

Happy Cooking from a legacy of kitchens to yours….

Thanksgiving Side Dishes:

• Green Bean, Feta and Dill Salad: http://thevaccarofamilytable.blogspot.com/2008/11/greek-green-bean-and-feta-salad.html

• Sweet Potato Gratin: http://thevaccarofamilytable.blogspot.com/2012/11/sweet-potato-gratin.html

• Bourbon, Orange and Shallot Cranberries: http://thevaccarofamilytable.blogspot.com/2012/11/bourbon-orange-and-shallot-cranberries.html

• Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffing http://thevaccarofamilytable.blogspot.com/2012/11/wild-rice-and-sausage-dressing.html

• Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing and Spaghetti Squash with Jalapeno Cream: http://thevaccarofamilytable.blogspot.com/2009/12/artichoke-parmasean-stuffing-spaghetti.html

Wild Rice and Sausage Dressing

Wild Rice and Sausage Dressing


Ingredients:

• ¾ # wild rice, cooked

• 1# ground pork sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained

• 1C chopped celery

• 1C chopped onion

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• ¼ t sage

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Sauté onion and celery in small amount of the sausage drippings - until soft.

• Add cooked sausage, cooked rice, sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix well. Serve.

• If making ahead, you can pour into a baking dish and toss in the oven to warm before serving (350 degree for 15-20 min, add veg stock if you think it seems dry)





BOURBON, ORANGE AND SHALLOT CRANBERRIES

BOURBON, ORANGE AND SHALLOT CRANBERRIES


Ingredients:

• 1 cup bourbon

• ¼ cup minced shallots

• Grated zest of 1 orange

• 1 - 12-oz package fresh cranberries, picked over

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper



Directions:

• In small nonreactive saucepan, combine bourbon, shallots & orange zest.

• Bring to a boil over moderate heat, then simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture is reduced to syrupy glaze, (about 10 minutes).

• Add cranberries & sugar, stirring will until sugar dissolves.

• Lower heat slightly and simmer with lid tilted until most of cranberries have burst, about 10 to 20 minutes.

• Remove from heat and stir in pepper.

• Transfer to bowl or mold. Let cool to room temperature; cover and refrigerate.

SWEET POTATO GRATIN

SWEET POTATO GRATIN

Ingredients:

For the topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into ½ inch cubes

• 1 cup toasted chopped pecans

For the sweet potatoes:

• 5 #’s sweet potatoes

• 1/4 cup fat free half/half or milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• 3 eggs

• ½ cup maple syrup (I use sugar free but any will do)

• ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees

• In a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.

• Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the flour mixture has been completely absorbed into the butter. The mixture should hold together when squeezed with your hand but still crumble apart easily.

• Stir in the pecans. Set aside.

• Put sweet potatoes in a large roasting pan and add a small amount of water. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and roast until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a knife, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

• Transfer the potatoes to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

• Reduce the oven temperature to 350.

• When potatoes cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and cut the flesh into ½ inch cubes.

• Transfer one-fourth of the potatoes to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the remaining cubed potatoes and stir to combine.

• In a bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla, butter, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

• Add the milk mixture to the sweet potatoes and stir until well combined.

• Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish and sprinkle with the gratin topping.

• Bake until the topping is golden and crispy, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 12 to 15.

• Tip: Cook and mash the potatoes and combine with other ingredients up to 1 day in advance. Transfer to a baking dish, cover and refrigerate. On day serving, remove dish from refrigerator 1 hour before baking, then add the topping and bake as directed.



Monday, September 10, 2012

Quinoa, Beet and Arugula Salad


This delicious Quinoa, Beet and Arugula Salad Recipe not only tastes fantastic, it looks gorgeous and is very very healthy too!
Ingredients

•3 cups arugula, chopped

•1 cup quinoa, uncooked

•3-4 beets, peeled and sliced

•2 green onions, sliced

•1 T olive oil

•1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar

•2 tsp sugar

•3 cloves garlic, minced. 1/2 Lemon, juiced

•1 tsp salt

•1/2 tsp ground black pepper


•3 oz goat cheese, crumbled (or fat free feta)

Directions:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Place beets on cookie sheet and roast for 45 min.  Set aside.
  2. Prepare quinoa according to package instructions.
  3. While the quinoa is cooking, whisk olive oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, lemon and black pepper together in a large bowl.
  4. Remove quinoa from heat, then immediately add half of the vinegar dressing while fluffing the quinoa with a fork; reserve remaining dressing. Cover and refrigerate quinoa until cool, at least 1 hour.
  5. Remove skin from beets, and slice them into quarters or wedges.
  6. Stir green onions, arugula, goat cheese, beets, and remaining dressing into cooled quinoa mixture. Toss lightly before serving.