Turkey Empanadas with Mint Sour Cream Sauce

Eating the empanada at the Dupont farmers market inspired me to try and make my own for the first time. Days I sat, pondering over what ingredients I would use for the stuffing and it finally came to me. I wanted something refreshing and not too heavy due to the high temperatures but at the same time, would fill me up and keep me satisfied.

Using my pallet, I made this recipe in hopes it would turn out as wonderful as I imagined. And boy did it! Give a try!

Turkey Empanadas with Mint Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked ground turkey
• 1 ½ cups chopped mint (divided)
• 1chopped mango
• ½ cup goat cheese
• 1 1/2 17.3-ounce packages frozen puff pastry (3 sheets), thawed
• 1 egg white, beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon cold water (for glaze)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 lemon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a large bowl, mix in cooked turkey, half of the mint and chopped mango.
• Cut each pastry sheet into fours.
• Spoon on roughly 4 table spoons of the filling onto the center of each pastry square and top with a tablespoon of goat cheese.
• Grab two opposite corners of the pastry dough and pinch above the filling. Holding on to that, slowly pinch down each side of the dough until the filling is in the center and you’re left with a large triangle. Use a fork to pinch the seam shut and cut a hole in the top of each empanada to release steam.
• Paint each empanada with the egg white glaze and bake for 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine sour cream, the remaining mint, lemon zest and a pinch of salt.

The simple mint sour cream sauce really made the mint in the empanadas pop out. It was a perfect combination of sweet and salty combined with the crunchiness of the puffed pastry. I noticed, that no matter what I did, the puffed pastry wouldn’t stay together at the seams but not much of the filling leaked out and the light texture of the pastry married well with these refreshing ingredients. Bon appétit!

Fried Squash Blossoms with Basil Ricotta Filling

Finally, I had them; soft, delicate and ready to eat, my first squash blossoms.  Now, I usually like to try food before I attempt to make it but this, I knew, was going to be a success. I used the basis of a recipe I found in Epicurious, I tweaked it a little by substituting basil for the mint. I didn’t have a deep fry thermometer so I had to use my instincts, which taught me a very valuable lesson.

When frying anything, make sure your oil is hot enough. If you don’t have a thermometer sprinkle some of your batter in the heated oil and watch closely how it reacts. If the desired consistency appears within a few seconds, your oil is hot enough. If you’re too eager, like me, and put the blossoms in too soon than the oil is absorbed into the batter rather than cooking the outside of the blossom and developing a crispy outside layer.

Looking at this recipe, I was surprised to see that it called for seltzer/club soda instead of milk or water for the batter. When frying, I found out why. Using carbonated water encourages the batter to separate and become lighter and fluffier. With such a delicate vegetable, this is a desirable consistency rather than the greasy batter used in fish and chips. When frying the blossoms, you can see bubbles in the batter forming which creates a lighter, crispier coating.

Another thing I used to save time and prevent a messy situation is a piping bag to fill the blossoms with the ricotta filling. When I pictured myself trying to gently spoon the filling into the blossoms, I could foresee a lot of cussing, ripped blossoms and a big mess. If you have a piping bag, this is an opportune time to get reacquainted with it.

I sincerely hope this recipe encourages you to try something new next time you run across it, you never know when you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Happy experimenting!

Fried Squash Blossoms with Basil Ricotta Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta (preferably fresh)

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided

6 large zucchini squash blossoms

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chilled seltzer or club soda

About 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Equipment:

Deep-fry thermometer

Piping bag

Instructions:  
Stir together ricotta, yolk, basil, 1/3 cup parmesan, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Carefully open each blossom and pipe in ricotta filling, gently twisting end of blossom to enclose filling. (You may have filling left over.)

Whisk together flour, remaining 1/3 cup parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and seltzer in a small bowl.

Heat 1/2 inch oil to 375°F in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Meanwhile, dip half of blossoms in batter to thinly coat. Fry coated blossoms, turning once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Coat and fry remaining blossoms. (Return oil to 375°F between batches.) Season with salt.

** If you’re inspired by this recipe and would like to try squash blossoms, check out Chef Jose Andres’s restaurant, Oyamel, in DC for his Squash Blossom Festival going on from August 1^st through August 14^th.

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Do you ever get an idea in your head and it seems too crazy to be true, then you look it up online and to your surprise you find that there are other people out there just as crazy as you but have actually TRIED the recipe?? Yeah…..Guinness Cake.

I’m not a fan of Guinness but I enjoy tasting it now and then. I’ve never had a full can nor have I ever had a carbomb. (Don’t even try and challenge me)

But one day, while watching the game with a bunch of guys, I took a taste and got the idea of a chocolate Guinness cake. The craving was born and thus began my mission.

There are a few recipes out there but this one just seemed to make more sense to me. Heating up the butter with Guinness and chocolate seemed like the right route to take. Not to mention it smelled like heaven.

We had a house full of people for this recipe so I got a decent amount of feedback. Hands down, this cake is awesome and it turned out exactly as I imagined. I wanted to step it up with my favorite cream cheese icing and I’m glad I did, it was perfect. After tasting it I could taste the potential that a little orange zest or orange extract could go a long way mixed in either the batter or the icing.

Try this one out by making cupcakes next time you have people over. Trust me; people will be talking about it for weeks.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Epicurious

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing

• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar
 

Preparation

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

Icing

• Using electric mixer, beat 12 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Chicken with Green Olives, Orange and Sherry; Endive and Apples with Grapes; Baked Sweet Potatoes

Now don’t lie to me. What’s better than picturing a meal and having it taste exactly the way you imagined? What’s better than cooking a meal for someone who means the world to you and having them say it was their favorite thing you ever cooked for them? Well, I mean, I don’t mean to toot my own horn but….beep-beep. This meal is something that came to me when I was thumbing through recipes on Bon Appétit (big surprise) and fell in love with the flavors in my imagination. The more I read and the more I taste the more I’m finding that it’s easier for me to predict and improvise.

This meal was devised through the feelings I have for someone very close to my heart. Someone who deserved my best effort and who I knew would appreciate it.

I find that when you cook for people who fill your world with joy, there is a certain ease to every cut of the knife, every taste with the spoon and every extra last minute ingredient you add to a dish. When you’re cooking for someone who knows exactly how much thought and effort you put into a meal, it allows the composure of the meal to come with ease thus allowing the imagination to sore.

Now, I’m getting carried away with a simple meal. I am no chef but this is a dish I am very proud of. I am always thankful to have company to cook for and now, as I make my dreams come true, I’m thankful to have wonderful friends, near and far, who adore my enthusiasm and influence these silly dreams of mine.

Enjoy, loves, this is for all of you!

Chicken with Green Olives, Oranges, and Sherry:

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 4 3/4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup medium Sherry
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1 orange, halved lengthwise, each half cut into 5 wedges (I used a blood orange)
• 1/3 cup brine-cured green olives (such as picholine)
• 1 tablespoon honey

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet; cook until skin is crisp and browned, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Reduce heat to medium-high. Drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add shallots; stir until soft and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add Sherry; boil until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to boil. Return chicken, skin side up, to skillet. Place orange wedges and olives among chicken pieces. Transfer to oven and braise uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to platter. Bring sauce to boil over high heat. Stir in honey; boil until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce, oranges, and olives over chicken, or return chicken to skillet and serve.

Endive, Apples (Pears), and Grapes:

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 2 large unpeeled tart-sweet apples (such as Fuji or Gala) (2 Bosc Pears)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 large heads of Belgian endive (12 to 16 ounces total), halved lengthwise
• 4 small clusters green grapes
• 5 small fresh rosemary sprigs (I didn't use these- they are out of season)
• Fleur de sel or other sea salt
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Preparation

• Quarter and core apples. Using vegetable peeler, shave off thin strip of peel down center of each apple quarter, leaving remaining peel intact. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add endive, cut side down, to skillet. Add apple  wedges, 1 cut side down, to skillet. Add grape clusters and scatter rosemary sprigs over; cook, uncovered, without turning or stirring, until endive is caramelized on bottom and apples are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully turn endive, apples, and grapes over; baste with liquid in skillet and cook until apples are very tender, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Season with fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.
• Transfer endive mixture to platter. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to skillet, scraping up any caramelized bits, forming small amount of sauce. Spoon sauce over endive mixture and serve.

*Chef’s note: I used pears instead of apples because I thought they would go better with the chicken. Swapping out the navel oranges and using blood oranges and using pears instead of apples cut back on the sweetness of the dish and allowed for the chicken to be the star.The blood oranges were used more for flavor and a garnish in the dish and brought out the true flavor of the sherry. 

Baked Sweet Potatoes:

Ingredients

• Two Large Sweet Potatoes (about 1 lb)
• ¼ cup of olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
• Salt & Pepper

Preparation

Heat oven to 425°F. Cut each potato evenly into quarter inch rounds and place in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss until coated evenly. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and generously coat with more olive oil. Spread out the potatoes evenly on the sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning each piece over half way through the cooking.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

So now that we’ve all had our fill of guilty pleasures this holiday season, left regretting every decision that seemed like a ‘good one at the time’, I encourage you to continue on your downward spiral and overindulge at least until the first of the year. We’ll all make resolutions that we’ll conveniently forget come March so let’s all throw caution to the wind and start baking!! Who’s with me? No? Oh, come on!!

Well, those of you who truly think this is a good idea, I’m going to start with my favorite cookie recipe of this season. Yes, it is a Christmas cookie but I try to hang on to the Christmas spirit as long as I possibly can. When all the toys and gifts are open, wrapping paper is everywhere, and the kids are running around playing, I just sit and think “All that work and now it’s all over.” Not this year!! Grab those candy canes off the tree and get your frustration out by smacking the crap out of them! Check this out…

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Recipe from Bon Appetit 

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)
• 2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

Instruction

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.
• Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.
• Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.
• Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
• Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.

Day 3 – You Are What You Eat: A Week of Raw Food

Is anyone else tired of this freezing cold yet? All I can think about is a steaming hot bowl of soup. I’m beginning to think this ‘going raw’ thing in the middle of the winter was not the best idea I’ve ever had but I’m going to stick to my promises.

Day 3: Today was not as energetic as yesterday. I did not sleep well so Bushi and I slept through the first alarm and woke by the second. There was no time to do my morning yoga and I was a bit rushed. The walk to the metro in the frigid cold did not help my situation. I was disappointed that I didn’t have time for morning meditation and exercise.

I started off my day with two shots of wheat grass that I bought frozen from my local organic store and a large bowl of fruit. The fruit did not sustain me at all. Coming out from the winter chill to a bowl of cold fruit was not exactly inspirational. I ate as much as I could in my morning rush and starved my way through my morning meetings. 

Lunch came at 1:00 today and I was more than ready for it. Still cold from sitting all day in an office, I was not excited for the leftovers from last night’s dinner, but once I took one bite I remembered why I was doing this. It was just as delicious as I remembered and I was soon stuffing huge bites in my mouth. I took my multi vitamin with lunch today because it seemed more sustainable than a bowl of fruit. That woke me up a little bit and got my blood flowing.

For a mid day snack I ate an oversized organic honey crisp apple and washed it down with a tablespoon of spirulina dissolved in water. For those of you who don’t know, spirulina is it’s a dietary supplement that you can either drink by dissolving in water or take in pill form. It is also part of the macrobiotic diet and it has the highest protein content of any non-meat dietary supplement.

Walking home from the metro this evening was not my idea of a pleasant stroll. My face was literally frozen and I couldn’t feel my toes. Finally reaching my front door, I had never been so excited to be home. I immediately put my sweat pants on and headed to the kitchen. There’s got to be a way that I can eat something semi-warm.

I found this recipe on RawFoodHomeRecipes.Com. If you heat up your food slightly (roughly 70 degrees) it does not cook your food and the vegetables still remain raw and keep all of their nutrients. This soup hit the spot tonight! It was nice and warm but the vegetables were still crisp and raw, the best of both worlds. Enjoy!

 

Raw Vegetable Miso Soup

Ingredients:

Broth

• 8 cups water
• a big knob of fresh ginger root, grated
• 2 tbsp miso (or to taste)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Veggies

• kale, broken up in small pieces
• mushrooms, sliced and marinated in a little olive oil and tamari
• red pepper, cubed
• green onion, sliced
• carrot, thinly sliced

Directions:

Bring water to boil in a pot, along with the ginger root, then simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat. Turn heat off and allow broth to cool down a little. In a small bowl, dissolve miso in a 1/4 cup or so of hot broth. Add to the pot, along with garlic and kale. Let sit for 2 or 3 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the serving bowls, placing some of the veggies in each one. Pour miso broth on top and enjoy! Serves 4

Day 2: You Are What You Eat – A Week of Raw Food

In my research, I read that it is important to always lubricate your digestive system with a substantial amount of water each day. I mean, come on, really; that’s a no-brainer. One website suggested to drink a liter of water before consuming your breakfast or your first cup of coffee in the morning. I’m game, let’s give it a go….

Day 2 started off pretty well. I woke to the first alarm I set for myself each day at 5:00am. This alarm is to wake me for my morning exercise, whether it is running or yoga. I have not woken up to this alarm in over four weeks. This morning, I think I figured out why – My cat, Bushi (Japanese name for warrior), always wakes up to this alarm and it’s his cue to cuddle with me till the second alarm goes off. To his dismay, I got up. The yoga warmed my cold body and woke me up. By the time I was finished, I was ready to face the world with plenty of time to spare. So far so good.

Upon arriving at work, I immediately drank my liter of water and heated up some oatmeal. I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning but this time I vamped it up with some banana, craisins, and crushed flax seed. I finished this off with a cup of hot kombucha tea and my multi vitamin. Shortly after I finished my tea, I felt fatigued. My eyes started to get heavy as the warmth of the food sat in my belly. This is not cool….I mean, is this diet even working?  I’m figuring it’s due to the warm food so it’s a huge bowl of fruit tomorrow. We’ll see.

Lunch time rolled around and my body was naturally ready to eat around 1:00. I’m usually counting down the seconds till the clock strikes 12:00 so I can rush to the kitchen for some leftovers. I had made seconds of the pizza dish I referenced to in my last post and decided to add some avocado for some extra nutrients this time. Though it’s a bit difficult to eat, the quality of this meal is superb. 

It really doesn’t seem like much, but man is it good.  It is a filling, tasty meal that leaves you satisfied but not stuffed. 

Chef’s note: Don’t leave out the nori and the basil. Those two ingredients really pulled all the flavors together.

I must admit, it’s only been two days but I can’t get enough of these nori snacks I bought yesterday. They are roasted, so they are not raw, but they are part of the macrobiotic diet which is also used to prevent and cure illnesses. These snacks are just a little over a dollar at my local natural food store and they are just like chips to me. I’m definitely going to stack up on these babies! Not sure how it’s going to make my breath smell but...eh.

2:30 rolls around and I’m wide awake, focused, sitting up straight and cranking my work out. The end of my work day approaches quickly and I notice, for once, I’m not hungry! I packed an apple and a handful of raw almonds and didn’t need to touch either.

I’m finally home and I’m getting hungry. My long trek from work, almost 2 hours, has increased my appetite and I’m ready for something good. My bones are absolutely freezing, I can’t feel my hands and I’m craving something that’s not piping hot. Ugh....promises, promises. I swear if I didn’t have this blog - no one would ever know…

This recipe I found today on We Like It Raw.Com. (I know, I know). It’s actually one of the best raw websites I’ve found online as far as recipes are concerned. They even have video tutorials to show you how to make some of these things. Ahem….ladies, meet the raw model  (You’re welcome.)

Anyway…..dinner…right. So, I decided to make their Zucchini Pasta for dinner tonight. I’m eating it right now and it’s absolutely awesome. I made an over abundance and ate it as my main dish and will have it for my lunch tomorrow, but it would be an excellent side dish.It doesn't have many ingredients, it takes less than five minutes to prepare, packed with huge flavor and I’m completely satisfied.

Secret: I’m no longer cold. Just because I’m eating cold food, doesn’t mean it actually makes me colder. Your body kicks up when you add nutrients to it, especially more than it’s used to. It generates heat because your blood is pumping to your digestive organs to help absorb the food. Something I’ve noticed is that I stay warmer longer since I’ve been eating raw. I usually get very cold after I eat because the majority of my blood is rushing to my stomach, using too much energy to try to digest the food I’ve just consumed. Pretty neat, huh? And….I’m not hungry!

Enough of that, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Zucchini Pasta by Philip McCluskey

Ingredients

• 1-2 zucchinis, shredded with hand peeler
• 1 handful organic artichoke hearts
• 1 handful of olives, pitted
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
• sea salt to taste
• pinch of chopped basil

Directions

1. Shred zucchini with hand peeler
2. Add rest of ingredients
3. Toss and serve

Listen to your body (You are what you eat): A week of raw food

My whole life, I’ve always listened to my body. I abide by what it craves and always give it what it asks for; whether it be exercise, rest, a type of food, etc. I would like to think that humans as a whole are educated enough to do the same but the western culture shows, by the obesity epidemic and other unhealthy lifestyles, that it is not always as easy as listening to your body.

Lately I have been ignoring my body and it finally put me in my place the other day. Saturday morning I woke at a reasonable hour, ate breakfast and went back to bed…..till 7:00pm. I went to dinner at my friends’ house, ate take out, became exhausted again and called it an early night. This morning I woke exhausted and completely disappointed in the choices I have been making lately. Between the overindulgence of a free keg at skee ball playoffs this Thursday, a Cosi burrito for dinner followed by a few whiskies on Friday, and spiced apple cider to wash down my Thai food on Saturday. Sunday I was going to start listening again.

My body is craving whole foods at the moment so after some yoga, I spent my morning researching the raw food diet. Research shows that having at least 50% of raw food in your diet considerable increases the amount of overall nutrients that would normally lack in a standard American diet. Cooking your food depletes the nutrients in our food, or what little is left over after what processing and pesticides leave us. Incorporating whole, organic (pesticide free) foods into your diet have been scientifically proven to not only prevent certain diseases and cancer but also cure them.

Reading this material inspired me to give this diet a try and attempt to detox my body from the toxins I’ve put into it the past few weeks. Because I am a young woman, it is important that I’m careful when experimenting when different diets and that I make sure I get the proper nutrients I need for my breast, heart, and bone health. Because of this, I am not going to go completely raw but eat mostly raw foods. Because I love food so much, this will not be a permanent diet change but only for a week. Throughout this week, I will share the recipes I’m using and document my overall health and any changes I’ve noticed. Let the adventure begin!

Day One: 

This evening, I made plans to gather with several friends for take out and good conversation. Because of my new dietary restrictions, I have made my own dinner and will bring it along with me.

Chef’s note: I am not going to suggest serving sizes for some of the recipes. It’s important for every person to determine what portion is best for their body and decide how much to use in order to be fulfilled by the meal.

 Semi-Raw Pizza:

Ingredients:

• Flat bread crackers
• Finely Chopped Kale
• Green and Yellow Peppers cut into cubes
• Chopped Basil
• Sunflower Seeds
• Quartered Grape Tomatoes
• Hummus
• Nori (seaweed)

Instructions:

Combine kale, peppers, seeds, and tomatoes together in a small bowl. Spread hummus over crackers and top with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle crumbled up nori overtop of the pizza.

Day one….let’s see how this goes.

Winter Squash Soup with Fried Sage Leaves

Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s NPR podcast “The Splendid Table” is by far one of my favorite guilty pleasures. The amount of knowledge that woman has about food never ceases to amaze me and I always learn something from every podcast. A few episodes ago, a caller asked Lynne what she could do with her overgrown sage plant. Lynne, as always, spouted out tons of mouth watering recipes that had me running home to try. One tip in particular that caught my ear was frying the dried sage leaves in olive oil and mixing them with blanched green beans with balsamic vinaigrette. I made this recipe for a few of my guests at my last pot luck and was complimented on my use of the intoxicating plant.

Having found a new passion for fried sage leaves, I was naturally excited to have stumbled upon a winter squash soup recipe that featured them. This recipe is painfully simple and extremely delicious. I altered the recipe a bit by adding pancetta to the hot oil after I took the sage leaves out then starting the stock from that same oil. I also find that blending thick soups like this makes for a smooth consistency and allows for the flavors to blend just a little more. This recipe is perfect for those bitter fall nights when you need something extra to warm those chilly bones. 

Winter Squash Soup with Fried Sage Leaves

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ to 3 pounds winter squash
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for the squash
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 12 whole sage leaves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• Chopped leaves from 4 thyme sprigs or ¼ teaspoon tried
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• Salt
• Freshly milled pepper
• 2 quarts water or stock (I only used 3 cups instead of 4)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Brush the surfaces with oil, stuff the cavities with the garlic, and place them cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake until tender when pressed with a finger, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the 1/4 cup oil until nearly smoking, then drop in the whole sage leaves and fry until speckled and dark, about 1 minute. Set the leaves aside on a paper towel and transfer the oil to a wide soup pot. Add the onions, chopped sage, thyme, and parsley and cook over medium heat until the onions have begun to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Scoop the squash flesh into the pot along with any juices that have accumulated in the pan. Peel the garlic and add it to the pot along with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick, simply add more water to thin it out. Taste for salt.

Depending on the type of squash you've used, the soup will be smooth or rough. Puree or pass it through a food mill if you want a more refined soup. Ladle it into bowls and garnish each bowl with the fried sage leaves, add pepper, and serve.

You can find this recipe at Epicurious.com 

Mushroom Ravioli and Tuscan Bean Soup

Inspired by Dominica Marchetti’s ravioli recipe in this month’s Food and Wine magazine, I decided to finally fulfill my ongoing desire of making ravioli.  Now, I’ve seenJacques Pepin do this with ease and thought “this can’t be so hard.” I honestly couldn’t have been more wrong. Someone once told me to always have a backup plan when trying out new recipes, just in case, so I decided to pair the ravioli with Tuscan Bean soup. (Inspired by Emeril Lagasse’s recipe)

Off to the market I go in search for inspiration for my ravioli filling. I think of all the different types of cheese concoctions I could whip up but then decide that I want to go for something with more a fall taste. I didn’t want to go too crazy with the recipe my first go around, so I settle on a mushroom and ricotta filling.

Following the simple ravioli directions religiously, I start on the soup while the dough comes to room temperature.

 

Tuscan Bean Soup: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 -14-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 - 14-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound diced pancetta
• 2 cups diced yellow onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 - 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 quarts chicken stock, plus extra water if needed
• 1 sprig of fresh oregano
• 2 heads of kale, stems removed and cut into bite size pieces
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, for serving

Directions

1.      In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta, cooking until slightly crispy. Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in one cup of chicken stock and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes. This will allow for the seasonings from the pancetta and the onions, celery and garlic to become more concentrated.

2.      Once the soup turns to a dark yellow/brown color, add the kidney beans, cannellini beans, carrots, tomatoes, oregano and the rest of the chicken stock. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, and then add the kale. Continue cooking for about an hour.

Now, ya see, I’ve obviously never made ravioli before and from watching chefs make it on TV, it seemed to be a pretty simple task to accomplish. I do not have a hand cranked pasta machine so I thought rolling it out the old fashioned way would be just as good. Let me be the first to admit how much I cursed while making this dish. 

I cut the dough into four pieces, as the recipe stated, and got to work. When I first started working with the dough, I thought I had done something wrong. It was a little crumbly and didn’t look like it was going to roll out nicely. Showing it some tough love, I started kneading, and kneading, and kneading. The oil and warmth of my hands aided in combining the dough and it slowly began to form a malleable consistency. I could see it was ready to be rolled out.

Smacking the oval of dough with my rolling pin a few times to begin, I start the ever so challenging rolling of the dough. Dominca states as a tip in her recipe that she knows the dough is ready when you can hold it up and see a shadow of your hand behind it. Good luck getting to that point with a rolling pin.

I thought of the old Italian woman and their strong arms as I pushed the dough. I thought of my grandmother in the kitchen for hours making pierogies, which I heard are just as challenging to make. I thought of me, without my pasta machine, determined to succeed in my ravioli making quest. I pressed on and started to enjoy the tedious process.

Finally, I see the shadow behind the dough and break out my cookie cutter. I wanted to get the most out of the dough considering it was difficult to make so I decided to use a 2 ½ inch cookie cutter to make the raviolis. My rounds are cut and I’m ready to stuff them with my mushroom ricotta recipe.

Painlessly Simple Mushroom and Ricotta Ravioli Stuffing:

Ingredients:

·         One stick of salted butter, cut into 6 pieces

·         1 lb. brunoise white mushrooms

·         8oz whole Ricotta Cheese.

Directions

1.      Melt the butter in a large non stick pan and combine with the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are soft and golden brown.

2.      Remove from heat. Drain access butter and put aside to use for the sauce.

3.      In a medium bowl, add ricotta to the mushrooms

I dab a teaspoon of my filling in the middle of each round and top with another. Being careful to keep the filling from oozing out, I pinch the outer corners of the ravioli and form a seal. I then throw them in a boiling pot of salted water for about a minute or two. Voila! They’re beautiful!

Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, I add a tablespoon of olive oil and a minced garlic clove to the mushroomed butter and pour over my cooked ravioli. By now my soup is complete and I’m ready to dine.

I top my soup off with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano, pour a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and marvel at my creation. Every bite is more delicious than the next and both meals complement each other beautifully. As I finish off my ravioli, I vow to treat myself to a hand cranked pasta machine before I try the cheese ravioli.