Valentines Day at Checkers!
Ingredients
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil -- (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar -- (1 to 2)
Salad:
5 ounces assorted mushrooms (morels -- crimini, shiitaki, chanterelles)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 fresh basil leaves -- finely shredded or minced OR 1 teaspoon minced fresh
parsley (4 to 5)
1 ounce thinly sliced Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar and set aside.
Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, cut them into thin slices and place in a
medium bowl.
Season the mushrooms with salt and a little pepper, toss with basil or parsley
and the dressing.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Arrange in small mounds on serving plates, top with sliced Parmigiano and serve.
Can make ahead, preparing the dressing and mushrooms. Assemble the salad just
before serving.
Ingredients
For the filling:
3 red beets -- (3 to 4)
6 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese -- (6 to 8)
1 cup good quality ricotta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
For the pasta dough:
10 large eggs
2 pounds all purpose flour
For the artichoke sauce:
8 whole -- good quality canned artichoke hearts (8 to 10)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
Directions
1. Wash the beets, put them in a roasting pan, cover it with foil and roast them
in a 450° oven until tender (it will take several hours, but the canned beets
just don't do justice to beets.)
2. When the beets are tender, peel and puree them in a food processor.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet and sweat the shallots in it until they
are translucent. Add the beet puree and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes.
4. Cool the filling, then add the parmesan and ricotta cheeses. Finish with salt
and pepper to taste.
5. To make the pasta dough: in a food processor, mix the eggs and the flour and
finish kneading the dough by hand for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can mix
the dough completely by hand, just make sure you knead it well for at least
15-20 minutes. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes tightly covered in
plastic.
6. Using a pasta machine, roll the dough into thin sheets.
7. Using the beet filling, make into ravioli or cappellettoni (Italian stuffed
pasta shaped like hats).
8. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until tender and serve with butter and
parmesan or with artichoke sauce.
9. To make the artichoke sauce, melt the butter in a skillet, add the garlic and
sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and the cream and reduce the sauce for 10
minutes or until the desired consistency. Salt to taste.
Ingredients
For lobsters and stock
4 qt water
4 live lobsters -- (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-lb)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 carrots -- chopped (1 cup)
2 celery ribs -- chopped (1 cup)
1/2 fennel bulb (sometimes called anise) -- stalks discarded and bulb chopped (1
cup)
3 large garlic cloves -- minced
2 fresh tarragon sprigs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup dry white wine
For stew
2 medium tomatoes
2 tablespoons kosher salt
18 baby carrots (3 bunches) -- peeled, trimmed, and halved lengthwise if large
6 oz haricots verts -- cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 cup shelled fresh peas (from 1/2 lb in pods) or thawed frozen baby peas
1/3 cup chopped shallot
3/4 stick unsalted butter -- (6 tablespoons) cut into tablespoon pieces
1 fennel bulb (sometimes called anise) -- stalks discarded and bulb cut into
1-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
Directions
Cook lobsters and make stock:
Bring water to a boil in pot, then plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into water and
boil, covered, 8 minutes from time they enter water. Transfer with tongs to a
shallow roasting pan to cool. Cook remaining 2 lobsters in same manner,
reserving cooking liquid in pot.
When lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove meat from tail and claws,
catching juices in pan. Scrape off any coagulated white albumen from meat with
point of a small knife, then cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces and chill in a bowl,
covered. Cut lobster bodies in half lengthwise, then transfer to cooking liquid
along with shells, tomalley, and any juices from roasting pan.
Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam
subsides, then stir in carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, tarragon, and salt.
Reduce heat to moderately low and cook vegetables, covered, stirring
occasionally, until tender but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove lid and add
wine, then boil over high heat until most of liquid is evaporated, about 7
minutes. Add vegetable mixture to lobster-shell mixture and bring to a boil,
skimming foam. Boil, uncovered, until stock is reduced to about 8 cups, 1 to 1
1/2 hours.
Discard lobster bodies, then pour stock through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a
large bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Set aside 3 cups stock for
sauce and reserve remaining stock for another use (cool stock, uncovered, then
chill, covered, or freeze).
Prepare vegetables for stew:
Cut an X in end opposite stem of tomatoes and immerse in a pot of boiling water
10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold
water to stop cooking, reserving boiling water. Peel and seed tomatoes (reserve
ice water) and cut into 2- by 1/4-inch strips.
Add kosher salt to boiling water, then add carrots and cook until just tender,
about 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to bowl of ice water. Cook haricots
verts and peas in boiling water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes, then
transfer with slotted spoon to ice water. Drain vegetables in a colander and pat
dry.
Make sauce:
Cook shallot in 3 tablespoons butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate
heat, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add
fennel and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring occasionally, until
fennel is golden and tender, about 15 minutes.
Add 2 3/4 cups lobster stock to fennel along with tomato strips and bring to a
simmer. Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup stock in a cup until
smooth, then whisk into sauce. Simmer sauce, whisking, until slightly thickened,
about 2 minutes, then whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter until
incorporated. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add blanched
vegetables, lobster, and tarragon and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, just
until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Divide stew among 6 bowls and top with potato rosettes, upside down.
Cooks' notes:
. Lobster can be cooked and stock made 2 days ahead and chilled separately,
covered.
. Carrots, haricots verts, and peas can be blanched 1 day ahead and chilled in a
sealed plastic bag lined with paper towels.
. Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered.
Bring to a simmer before proceeding.
Ingredients
STEAK:
1 2/3 cups canned beef broth -- Swanson®
3/4 cup ready-to-use julienne sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) --
Frieda's®
1/4 cup butter -- Land O'Lakes®
1 package stuffing mix -- (6.6-ounce) Stove Top® (flavor optional)
1 skirt steak -- (1 1/4-pound)
Salt and pepper
ROSEMARY MASHED POTATOES:
2 packages refrigerated prepared mashed potatoes -- (11 ounces each) Simply
Potatoes®
6 tablespoons butter -- Land O'Lakes®
1/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary -- finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Directions
Steak Preparation:
Bring broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir
in contents of stuffing mix pouch. Cover saucepan and remove from heat. Let
stand 5 minutes. Fluff stuffing with fork. Cool stuffing.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Lay steak flat on clean work surface. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Cover
steak evenly with stuffing. Roll up steak lengthwise to create a pinwheel
effect, enclosing stuffing completely. Skewer seam with toothpicks.
Place the steak roll, seam side down, on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Sprinkle
roll with salt and pepper. Roast until steak is golden brown and cooked through,
about 40 minutes.
Rosemary Mashed Potatoes Preparation:
Meanwhile, peel back corners of potato packages. Warm potatoes in microwave
according to package instructions.
Mix in butter, milk, and rosemary. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper
Ingredients
1 cup butter -- softened
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 ounce red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 packages cream cheese -- (8 ounce)
12 ounces white chocolate
1 cup butter -- softened
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8 inch
pans.
In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter with sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Mix food coloring with cocoa and add to mixture.
Add flour alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and salt.
Mix baking soda with vinegar, and gently stir into mixture. Be careful not to
over mix.
Divide batter into three prepared 8 inch round pans. Bake at 325 degrees F (165
degrees C) for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.
To make the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing: Melt the white chocolate and
allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light
and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate and softened butter. Beat
until it is the consistency of whipped cream, then use to fill and frost the
cake.
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