- Tomato Basil Pasta with Fresh Bocconcini

TOMATO BASIL PASTA WITH FRESH BOCCONCINI

3 T extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like a bite)
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 - 14½ oz can diced tomatoes
5 T roughly chopped fresh basil
¼ tsp sugar
Salt
1 lb fusilli pasta (or other similar shape)
8 oz fresh drained bocconcini pearls or larger balls cut into small pieces
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 T salt and pasta and cook until pasta is al dente. Drain (reserving ¼ c of the pasta water) and return pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, combine 2 T of the olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes over medium heat until fragrant but not brown (about 2 minutes). Stir in crushed and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Stir until sauce is slightly thickened (about 15- 20 minutes). Stir in 3 T basil, the sugar and ½ tsp. salt.

Add the sauce to the pasta along with the remaining 1 T of olive oil and cook over medium heat until heated through (about 1 minute) (add reserved pasta water if pasta seems dry). Stir in bocconcini and season with salt. Serve, sprinkling with remaining 2 T of basil and the fresh Parmesan.

Notes:

(i) This is super easy and is a really tasty update on the old mac and cheese;
(ii) Don’t cheap out and buy block mozzarella – there is a huge difference!

- Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CARAMALIZED ONION GALETTE

Pastry:

1¼ c all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ c unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ c sour cream
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ c ice water

Filling:

1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 T olive oil
1 to 2 T butter (if you have only non-stick, the small amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half moons
1 tsp salt
Pinch of sugar
¼ tsp cayenne, or to taste
¾ c fontina (or other favorite) cheese (about 2 ½ oz) grated or cut into small bits
1½ tsp chopped fresh sage leaves


Pastry:

In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the centre of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the centre. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add ½ of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Add the other ½ of the sour cream, lemon juice and water mixture and pat into a ball (do not overwork the dough). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Squash:

Preheat oven to 375º. Peel the squash, halve it and scoop out the seeds. Cut into a ½ inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a ½ tsp of the salt and roast on a foil lined (for easy clean-up) baking sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

Onions:

While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining ½ tsp of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown (about 20 mins). Stir in cayenne.

Raise the oven temperature to 400º. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

Galette:

On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12 inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the squash, onion, cheese and herb mixture over the dough leaving a 1½ inch border. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. Remember that the centre will be open – this is not a pie.

Bake until golden brown around 30 – 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes then slide the galette onto a serving place. Cut into wedges and serve hot or warm.

Notes:

This is worth the effort – it is yummy!

Thanks Nicole!

- Turkey and Black Bean Chili

TURKEY AND BLACK BEAN CHILI


1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1 19 oz. can black beans
1 473 ml or similar sized jar of chunky tomato salsa
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the turkey and cook, stirring, until cooked through and crumbly. Drain the excess fat from the pot and then add all the remaining ingredients. Loosely cover and bring the chili to a gentle simmer.

Simmer the chili for 25 to 30 minutes, until thickened and deliciously flavoured If desired, top bowls of the chili with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of grated cheddar or jack cheese, and serve taco chips alongside for dunking.

Thanks Deborah!

- Caesar Salad Sandwiches

CAESAR SALAD SANDWICHES


Sandwich:

1 loaf of calabrese bread (or french bread/foccacia)
Store roasted chicken (or you can roast chicken breasts)
6 cooked slices of bacon (or pancetta)
Leaf lettuce (or arugula)
Shaved parmesan cheese

Caesar dressing:

1 garlic clove (or more to taste), chopped
2 T. chopped parsley
1 ½ tsp. anchovy paste
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 ½ T lemon juice
½ c. real mayo


Slice bread along the length of the loaf and place on a cookie sheet, crust down. Bake or broil in oven until just golden. Spread both halves with the dressing, then layer bottom half with lettuce, chicken, bacon, parmesan, lettuce. Top with top half of loaf and slice into large pieces.

- Coffeecake Muffins

COFFEECAKE MUFFINS

Yield: 12 good size muffins

Streusel
8 T granulated sugar
1/3 c packed light brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1 T cinnamon
4 T unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces and chilled
½ c chopped pecans

Batter
3 large eggs
1½ c sour cream
2¼ tsp vanilla extract
2½ c flour
¾ c granulated sugar
1½ T baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 T unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened

Streusel:

Pulse 5T of the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in a food processor until just combined. Remove ¾ c of this mixture for the filling and set aside. Add pecans and the remaining 3T of granulated sugar to the remaining mixture in the food processor and pulse until the nuts are coarsely ground. Transfer to a bowl and set aside for streusel topping.

Batter:

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 375º. Spray the muffin tin liberally with Pam. Whisk eggs, sour cream and vanilla in a bowl and set aside. In the food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold in the egg mixture until just combined. Place 2T of batter in each muffin cup and top with 1T of the cinnamon filling (not the streusel). Using the back of a spoon, press cinnamon filing lightly into batter, then top with remaining batter. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the batter.

Bake until muffins are light golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool muffins in tin for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to rack to cool.

Notes:

(i) I like large muffins!
(ii) I increased the batter portion of this recipe to get a better size muffin (see note i);
(iii) I don’t use paper liners as I find the muffins end up too small (see note i);
(iv) If you don’t press the cinnamon into the batter the muffin will separate once it is baked and cooled (not necessarily a bad thing);
(v) A great tip that came with this recipe was to use a round cookie cutter as a guide when sprinkling the streusel topping on each muffin (otherwise the streusel will end up on the muffin tin);
(vi) If you end up with leftover streusel just put it in a Ziploc bag and store it in the freezer for another time;
(vii) For anyone who doesn’t know how picky I am, I never eat day old baking so what doesn’t get eaten on the day of baking is put into the freezer. The original recipe does say that these can be placed in an airtight container for up to 3 days. My spin on that would be use a tin. Plastic containers bring out too much moisture in muffins and alter the texture.

- Apple Cake

APPLE CAKE

6 apples (Macs or Granny Smith) peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
1 T cinnamon
5 T white sugar

2¾ c flour, sifted
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c vegetable oil
2 c sugar
¼ c orange juice
2½ tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 c chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray an angel food cake (tube) pan with Pam.

Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, orange juice and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

If using the pecans you can sprinkle them onto the bottom of the pan so that once it is inverted they will be on top.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread half of the apples onto the batter. Repeat these two steps with the remaining batter and apples. Bake for 1½ hrs or until a tester comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove and invert it as with an angel food cake.

Notes:

(i) If you decide not to use the nuts you can remove the cake from the pan and not invert it as the apples also make a nice topping.
(ii)See also Apr 20 09 post for Apple Cream Cheese Cake.