Spaghetti Carbonara

Some foods require planning, prep time, and special ingredients.  This is not one of them.  I'd be willing to bet that at least 70% of Americans have the basic ingredients for pasta carbonara on hand at any given time - pasta, bacon, eggs, some sort of salty grated cheese and cream or milk.  Throw in some veggies of your choice and you've got dinner in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

Of course, everything is better when made from scratch.  So I've used my own homemade spaghetti here, but this is just as satisfying with the store-bought variety.  This is also a meal that in a month or two can be completely local (except for the flour in the pasta), since the eggs, cream, bacon and cheese were all from Springfield Farm and once late spring rolls around we'll start getting our leeks and spinach from One Star Farm.

Spaghetti Carbonara

4-5 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
1 cup cleaned white and light green parts of leeks, sliced into thin half moons
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups baby spinach, washed and dried

1 lb. fresh spaghetti (or boxed)

3 jumbo or 4 large eggs
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/3 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano or other salty hard cheese
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

Fill a stockpot with water, salt it generously and place it over high heat for the pasta.

In a medium saucepan, saute bacon until crisp.  Add leeks and saute until slightly tender.  Drain some of the bacon fat out of the pan, then deglaze with white wine.  Turn off the heat and add spinach, stirring occasionally while the spinach wilts.

In the meantime, start cooking the pasta.  Fresh pasta only takes 1-3 minutes so keep an eye on it.

While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs with the cream, cheese and black pepper and whisk to combine.  Temper the eggs by whisking in some of the hot wine then pouring the egg mixture into the pan, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and comes up to temperature (the heat on the burner should remain turned off, it's just residual heat that cooks it).  You don't want to scramble the eggs.

Drain the pasta and toss with the eggy bacon and veggie mixture.  Serve immediately.

Palak Paneer

If I had to name one favorite Indian dish it would be palak paneer - a none too pretty but unbelievably tasty spinach puree with fresh farmers cheese (paneer) that's lovingly spiced and served over a bed of rice or with a stack of naan. Saag paneer is similar, but can contain other greens beyond spinach. I got to thinking that it couldn't be too hard to make - and as it turns out, it's dead simple and comes out even better than the restaurant variety.

Although paneer is not hard to make, I happened to have some "bread cheese" already on hand. This is a popular cheese to grill up for an appetizer, as it holds its shape when cooked, becoming soft and gooey but not stringey. I thought at first that the texture would be very different, but it was just a little firmer than paneer and tasted very similar, so it's an easy shortcut if you don't have time to make your own paneer.

Palak Paneer

1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 medium jalapeño, seeded & minced
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2/3 cup water
11 oz spinach, washed and dried

1/3 cup "bread cheese", cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

cooked rice or naan for serving

Combine spices in a large, deep sided dry saucepan over medium high heat. Toast until spices are fragrant.

Add butter and onion and saute until onion is soft. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeño and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add water and stir in spinach, reducing the heat to medium low. Put a lid on the pot so the spinach will steam and wilt, stirring occasionally.

Once spinach has wilted, transfer to a blender or use a stick blender to puree the mixture. Return to the pan, add cheese and cook until the cheese warms and softens. Add cilantro and cook 1 minute.

Serve over rice or alongside naan.

Looking Forward to Leftovers...Part 2

OK - this is really pathetic - how is it that I took these pictures on October 25, Wrote this Nov 8th and am only now publishing it??! Well - at least this is great for leftovers year round. Whenever I make mashed potatoes, this is really the reason - I want to use the leftovers! P.S. - here's why I have time to post this (finally):







Every thanksgiving we make what my brother-in-law lovingly refers to as "heart-attack mashed potatoes." Since this holiday comes but once a year, these yukon golds are loaded up with roasted garlic, butter, cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and scallions. Eat them too often and expect to see scary cholesterol levels at your next doctors visit. But boy are they good, and once a year fits most people's definitions of moderation.

I often find myself with leftover mashed potatoes, usually even more leftovers when it is not the holiday season. Since we are much bigger fans of the mashed potato the first time around, I love this recipe to use up the extras. Any flavors you have in your potatoes will work here, and this bread is just to die for.

Roasted Garlic Potato Rosemary Bread

Starter
2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
3/4 - 1 cup of room temp water

"Finishers"
1 head of garlic
olive oil

3 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
1 Tbsp of roasted garlic olive oil from the previous step
3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup - 1 cup room temp water

To make the starter: Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. Start with 3/4 cup of water and add water if needed to form a slightly tacky dough. Knead in a stand mixer on medium-low speed for 4 minutes or by hand for 8 minutes. Put aside into a well oiled bowl, cover and keep on the counter for 24-48 hours.

To finish the bread:
Preheat an oven (or a toaster oven) to 300 degrees. Slice the top off a head of garlic, so that the cloves are just exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and place face down in a pyrex or ceramic baking dish. Drizzle the outside with olive oil. Roast until golden and fragrant, about an hour. Let cool, then squeeze out cloves and dispose of "garlic paper."

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together remaining bread flour, salt, pepper, yeast and garlic powder. Cut the starter into ten pieces and add them all separately, alternating with the mashed potatoes, oil, rosemary and 3/4 cups water. Mix on low speed for a minute (with the bread hook attachment). Add more water as needed until the dough comes together into a ball. Knead about 6 minutes on medium speed. At this point you should be able to take a small bit of dough and stretch it thin enough to see light through it without it ripping.

Flatten the dough into a large rectangle and spread garlic cloves over it. Gather it back into a ball, dust it with flour and knead for a minute by hand. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape into 2 round loaves. Let rise on parchment paper or silpat for an additional 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush the loaves with olive oil and transfer them (still on the parchment/silpat) to a sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15-25 minutes or until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the middle reads at least 195 F. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Getting Baked...Twice!

I've had a glut of scallions and potatoes from the CSA lately. Although normally I would turn to Loaded Potato Soup, it's been approaching 100 degrees in Baltimore and soup is just not an option. So I turned instead to Twice Baked Potatoes - admittedly the oven does get some use, but it's not nearly as bad as standing over a simmering pot. This is classic American - like overstuffed potato skins - a guilty pleasure. They're just so good!

Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes


4 large or 7 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
olive oil

1 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup light sour cream
8 oz. shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese
3 large scallions, sliced thin
6 slices hickory smoked bacon, cooked until crisp
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ancho chile powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub potatoes with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Roast until cooked through, about an hour.

Using an oven mitt to hold the potato, slice down the middle and scoop the insides into a bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch of potato around the skins. Set aside skins and mash butter and sour cream into potato. Stir in 2/3 of the cheese, all of the scallions, bacon and seasonings. Refill the skins with the potato mixture, pressing it into the skins. Press remaining cheese on top. Bake for another 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Return to Emilia-Romagna

It's been a while since I had the time to post a Daring Baker's challenge, and for some reason I was still struggling with the whole make a vegan dip and cracker thing. However, there was no way I could pass up a lasagna challenge, and I was curious to see how it would measure up to my own ultimate recipe. The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge. Lasagne is one of my favorite foods and I've traveled through this region of Italy and miss it incredibly. I was so looking forward to the memories I thought this would bring back.


Sadly, it was deeply disappointing. While my recipe may be less authentic, its layers of flavor are richer and more crowd pleasing. L and I agreed that while the meat ragu would have been fabulous on some pappardelle, its complexity was lost when mixed with the spinach of the noodles and the creaminess of the béchamel. Most surprising was how strikingly different it was from my usual version, even though I make my own fresh noodles and a béchamel in mine as well!


So my verdict is, if you want to experience the pleasures of slow cooking demanded by a traditional lasagne, give it a try. But for my time, it was not worth the 6 hours when 1 hour yields a better result!

Lasagne Verdi al Forno


Serves 8 to 10

1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)
1 recipe Parmesan Herb Béchamel (recipe follows)
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3 quart shallow baking dish.


Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about two long overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese.


Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.


Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve.

Pasta Verde


In my opinion - this was the least tasty part of the lasagna - I recommend using a plain fresh egg noodle recipe, like the one I have here, but cut for lasagna

3 large eggs
6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry - btw, the easiest way to do this is to stab the plastic bag all over with a fork, then squeeze so the water goes out the perforations - mess free!
3 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour


I used a Kitchen Aid mixer to make the dough, and its pasta attachment to roll it - however, the spinach was not about to mix in, even though it was finely chopped. I had to take it for a whir in the food processor.


Even after that, the dough did not roll out nicely. As soon as it got thin, the small bits of spinach would cause it to develop small holes everywhere, and it looked very lacy. When it cooked up, it was not very tasty and the texture was offputting.



Parmesan Herb Bechamel - my version

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced fine
4 tablespoons all purpose unbleached flour
2 2/3 cups 1 % milk
3 Tbsp dried italian herbs
1/3 cup freshly grated parmaggiano reggiano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste


Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat and quickly saute shallot until softened. Add the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth, then add the herbs. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with cheese, salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Ragu alla Contadina


This sauce was incredible on its own and would have been better if its flavors weren't masked by everything else. They called for grinding up the meat - but I left it in small 1/2 inch chunks and it braised to gorgeous melt-in-your-mouth pieces! I thought the slow addition of stock and the milk was odd, but it came out incredibly rich and flavorful because of it. This part I will definitely make again!

Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces, finely chopped (a slice about 1/2 inch thick will do nicely)
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery, minced
1 large carrot, minced
8 ounces boneless veal shoulder
4 ounces beef skirt steak
2 ounces Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup dry red wine - I used Shiraz
2 & 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups 1 % milk
1 can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
Italian herbs, Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Stir meats into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown.


Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Stir 3/4 cup stock and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another 3/4 cup stock. Stir in the last 1 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir occasionally to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes and herbs. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Working Ahead?
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Buffalo Blues

Orzo has to be one of my favorite pasta shapes. Like grains of rice, they can be toasted and turned into creamy sides reminiscent of risotto. Or a quick boil, drain and toss of vinaigrette with some seasonal veggies and you've got yourself a great pasta salad. But the best of all is an uber creamy better-than-mac-and-cheese studded with bits of sausage or meatballs. This version draws its charms from the classic buffalo wing and blue cheese combo. Perfect for a football game or a cozy winter night (and I actually made this around superbowl time).

Buffalo Blue Creamed Orzo with Turkey Meatballs


1 lb. orzo pasta

1 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth or stock, preferably low sodium or homemade
1 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
2/3 cup mild blue cheese crumbles
1 bag triple washed baby spinach (about 5 cups)
1 1/2 cups chopped ripe plum tomato
1/2 recipe turkey meatballs (recipe below)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily. Cook pasta according to package directions, undercooking by one minute so it's still a little chewy and drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large deep saucepan. Saute onions and mushrooms until slightly golden. Add broth and 1/2 cup milk and bring to a low simmer. In a small lidded container, shake together flour and remaining milk until flour is no longer clumping to make a slurry. Add to the sauce along with hot sauce, spinach and blue cheese. Let simmer until thick and cheese has melted. Toss in orzo, tomatoes and meatballs and serve immediately.


Turkey Meatballs


1 lb. ground turkey breast
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano
3 Tbsp chopped parsley

Mix together with your hands to combine. Form into small meatballs, about an inch in diameter. If freezing, do that now on a sheet pan lined with plastic wrap, then transfer to a plastic bag after frozen solid.

To cook, brown all sides in a pan with olive oil over medium heat.

Apologies...

I am a bad bad blogger and I repent for my sins...

It's not that I haven't been cooking, I've hosted big dinner parties and simmered slow braises and uncovered the grill on nicer days...

It's not that it hasn't been post worthy, with fabulous roast beef in a port wine dijon reduction, white pizza with sausage, fried eggs and truffle oil, aged gouda mac and cheese, classic fish and chips. With so much good food coming out of my kitchen I have no excuse.

I guess the truth is that blogging was just too daunting for someone inundated with coursework, grading, entertaining, mentoring, wedding planning and renovating.

And I stand by my earlier statement (see last year) that March is evil.

So I'm begging you not to give up on me, not to write me off as dead, at least to the blogging world. I promise I'll be back, and probably posting almost every day again next summer. And for now, to stave off metaphorical hunger, here's the recipe for what L calls "the absolute best chicken soup I've ever tasted". It's light, with a good amount of bright acid, plenty of heat from peppers (feel free to reduce to your taste), the richness of the tender chicken and creamy contrast of fresh avocado.

Mexican Chicken Soup


1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo, minced
1/2 cup light colored beer
3 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 Tbsp adobo seasoning
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 cup basmati rice
13.5 oz. canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup banana pepper rings and about 1/8 cup of the vinegar they come in
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cups torn leftover roasted chicken (rotisserie chicken is good for this)
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 large avocado, chopped

Saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and chipotles and saute another minute. Deglaze with beer. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, seasonings and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked. Add black beans, peppers and their juice, chicken, lime juice and corn and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add cilantro, tomatoes and avocado right before serving.

The Calamari Paradox

There's nothing more disappointing then ordering calamari in a restaurant and waiting in lip-smacking anticipation as the waiter plops down the platter, only to discover it's been overcooked. It can be like eating strips of truck tires and it's happened to me time and again, in the cheap dives and the high end, white-tablecloth shrouded snobberies. Calamari's tricky. Should you be brave enough to attempt your own golden fried version, check out my recipe here. But I have an even better idea - why not make it fool-proof, add more deep complexity, and celebrate the best briney goodness of the squid.

I've always heard that there are two ways to cook squid, lightning fast or tortoise-slow. I don't think I ever believed that calamari that braised for an hour or more could possibly be edible. So many memories of crisp-fried rubber came back to haunt me. But low and behold, when calamari simmers away, it develops such a silky tenderness, and such rich flavors that I'm not sure I can ever look at a plate of the fried stuff again.

So I challenge you. Make this delicious squid. Serve it over pasta as I have, or with some crusty bread, and then come back and tell me what you think. It will change your world!

Spaghetti with Slow-Cooked Calamari Marinara


2 Tbsp olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, smashed open
14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine
1 lb. calamari, cut into rings (You can use tentacles, but I didn't)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly ground coarse black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp pesto
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lb. spaghetti, cooked to al dente in salted water

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook gently without browning until fragrant. Add tomatoes, wine, calamari, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat (uncovered) for about an hour. The calamari should be meltingly tender when it's done and the sauce should have reduced and become thicker.

When the pasta is just about cooked, add the pesto, cheese and parsley to the calamari. Then use a spaghetti hook to transfer the pasta into the pot with the calamari. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce so that it absorbs some of the flavors.

Serve steaming hot with an extra flourish of chopped parsley.

Enchilada Night!

There's nothing like a good mexican dish. I'm not talking a greasy, only slightly spiced flour tortilla wrapped monstrosity drowning in too much cheese, but the real, homestyle mexican rich with lean meats, intense flavors, healthy veggies and redolent of cilantro. One of L's favorites has always been my shredded chicken enchiladas. Here's an even healthier, even more flavorful twist.

Smokey Shredded Chicken, Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas



1 tsp olive oil
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 - 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
2 minced chipotle chiles in adobo
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp chile powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp red annatto powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
3 chicken breasts

15.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of all liquid
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 cup minced onion

16 small corn tortillas
8 oz. 2% shredded mexican cheese (1 bag)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste, let cook until slightly caramelized. Add tomatoes, chipotles, chicken broth and seasonings. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree most of the sauce, leaving a few chunks of tomato and onion. Continue to simmer over low heat, adding the chicken to cook in the sauce.

While the chicken is cooking, combine black beans, spinach, cheese, cilantro and onion in a large bowl and mix well.

When chicken is just cooked through, remove it to a cutting board. Go at it with a couple of forks until it's well shredded. Add to filling mixture along with a couple ladle-fulls of sauce and mix well.

Fill each tortilla as much as possible, wrap it around and place it seam side down in a large baking dish. Repeat for 16 enchiladas. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream and cilantro.