Search results for 'shallot'

Market Fresh Cooking

26 Jun

I love Markets.  Farmer’s Markets are my favorite and I’ve always loved Chelsea Market.  I like walking into a place having no idea what I’ll cook and selecting my dinner based on what looks the best that day.  The only problem I have with NYC markets is that they’re crowded and it can sometimes be very annoying to have to push through everyone.  Nothing in Union Square Market was calling out to me, especially not enough to go through the crowd any more, so Mike and I made our way to Chelsea Market for the fish at The Lobster Place.

I felt overwhelmed at the fish counter, however, I wound up selecting the Turbot.  Why? I have no idea.  It just called out to me (and perhaps had the word “buttery” on the description) and was something I had never tried.  The sign also mentioned that it resembled halibut, so when struggling to find a yummy sounding turbot recipe, we looked into how to cook halibut and found an easy butter/shallot sauce that sounded good (so much for eating healthy with fish)!  We added the homemade pasta bought from the Italian market and made our favorite brussel sprouts recipe once again.  The scallops also looked great, and are always a favorite, so we cooked some of those up for an app (just a touch of egg, then flour, then pan seared).  It was a hearty and rich meal that we thoroughly enjoyed.  We also picked up some of my favorite Fat Witch brownies for dessert.  YUM!


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Shallot Butter Sauce

·         Pound Butter — softened

·         2 Shallots — chopped

·         1 Cup White Wine

·         1/2 Cup White Wine Vinegar

·         1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (we went without)

·         Salt And Pepper — to taste

Directions 

Saute shallots with the wine & vinegar. Reduce the liquid for 10 minutes until the pan is dry, and only shallots remain. Whisk in butter. After butter is totally melted, add remaining ingredients, bring to boil. Remove from heat, keep warm. 

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“Healthier” Mac and Cheese and Chicken Piccata

14 Jun

I absolutely love Macaroni and Cheese, however, I know that for the sake of my waistline I cannot eat it every day.  I am always on the look-out for a healthier version, so when I found a recipe for what claimed to be healthier and included butternut squash, I thought “why not?”

The first thing I noticed is that there was far too much liquid for the macaroni, so we poured in some of the cheesy/butternut squash mix to fill up the macaroni mixture and then decided to convert the rest to soup.  I added a bit more milk, rosemary, and mushrooms and cooked it down to the right texture.  I then added a swirl of this AMAZING basil olive oil I bought to the top.  The soup was incredible.

The macaroni and cheese was good, but the texture wasn’t amazing (though not as bad as I thought it would be) and the taste just wasn’t enough.  I’m also not sure how much healthier it could have been, but I guess it’s better than using a ton of heavy cream.

To pair with it, we also made a variation on chicken piccata that was quite tasty.

All were very easy to cook and there was a whole lot of food for just the two of us.  I’m sure it would make a good family meal.

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“Healthier” Mac and Cheese
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 23 min
8 servings

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
  • 2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
  • 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
  • 2 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup) – we went with Gruyere instead
  • 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper – We eliminated this due to my allergy, which may be why it was a bit bland
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned

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Chicken Picatta

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 – 2 pounds thinly pounded chicken breast
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 6 TB unsalted butter
  • 2 TB finely chopped shallots
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice – we eliminated this and it was still fine
  • 2 TB freshly chopped parsley leaves –also omitted with no noticable problem

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F
  2. Cut chicken breast crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
  3. Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.  Shake off excess flour and set aside.
  4. In large saute pan over medium to medium to high heat, heat olive oil and 4 TB of butter.  Once hot, but not yet smoking, brown chicken quickly (about 1 minute on each side) and remove to an ovenproof platter.  Place in oven to keep warm. (We used a plate and a microwave… it worked)
  5. Reduce heat to low and add shallots to the pan.  Saute for 1-2 minutes or until they begin to turn translucent.
  6. Add wine and lemon juice to pan and simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
  7. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk to combine.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste if necessary
  9. Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately

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Rack of Lamb and Creamed Spinach Gratin

29 Apr

A lovely sale at Fresh Direct on Frenched Australian Rack of Lamb inspired Mike and I to cook another thing we had never cooked before.  I searched for recipes and found one that sounded tasty.  Mike suggested we make a creamed spinach, and I found one that sounded a little fancy and delicious. 

The meal turned out ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.  One of the best in our cooking history if I do say so myself.



The leftover spinach made for a FABULOUS brunch the next day when paired with an omelet and bacon.  The whole meal was easy every step along the way.

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Rack of Lamb for Two

2 tablespoons coarsely ground cornmeal1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves1 clove garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher) saltFreshly ground black pepper, to taste1 rack of lamb for two (8 or 9 chops), cut in half1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard


1.Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2.Combine the cornmeal, rosemary, garlic, coarse salt, and pepper in a small bowl, and mix well.
3.Lightly brush the fat side of the racks with the mustard. Then coat the mustard with the cornmeal mixture.
4.Arrange the racks on a baking sheet, and cook 25 minutes for medium-rare. Slice the chops apart and serve immediately.
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Creamed Spinach Gratin

From “Real Simple Magazine” Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish1 clove garlic, halved5 shallots, thinly sliced crosswise 5 10-ounce boxes frozen spinach, thawed (it’s a whole lotta spinach, be prepared)8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup whole milk1 cup grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese 1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Heat oven to 375°F. Rub the sides and bottom of a buttered 8-inch baking dish with the garlic; discard garlic. In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside. Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, Gruyère or Swiss cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and shallots. Transfer to dish. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and lightly golden, about 25 minutes.
Tip: To make the gratin ahead of time, assemble it but do not bake it. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Heat as directed, allowing an extra 30 minutes of baking time.
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 362(76% from fat); FAT 31g (sat 19g); PROTEIN 15mg; CHOLESTEROL 97mg; SODIUM 425mg; FIBER 6g; CARBOHYDRATE 12g

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