7 September 2012 Salted Caramel Budino

Salted Caramel Budino

September 7, 2012 By

I was leafing through some food magazines last week and came across a Bon Appetit recipe by Marcie Turney of Barbuzzo in Philadelphia for Budino, an Italian pudding, with two different layers of salty caramel.  The photo was calling me to replicate it and I did, with some short cuts and modifications that I think everyone will enjoy. Yes, it is three steps, but the crumbles take a minute and the dessert through the pudding layer can be made a day in advance.

Cookie Crumbles Ingredients:

Pudding Ingredient:

  • 3 cups whole milk, divided
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 3 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 tsp. rum
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt

Salted Caramel Topping Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
  • 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) cold butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • Whipped cream (optional)

Cookie Crumbles Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter, and salt. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the crumbles for later use. Press 2 tablespoons crumble mixture onto the bottom of eight 8-ounce mason jars or ramekins.

Pudding Ingredients:

  1. Whisk 1/2 cup milk and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Heat 2 1/2 cups milk in a small saucepan just to a simmer. Set aside.
  3. Gently stir sugar and 3/4 cup water in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring until an instant-read thermometer registers 210°–220°, about 5 minutes.
  4. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk, then cornstarch mixture. Slowly whisk in caramel. Return mixture to the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and a thermometer registers 175°, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Whisk in butter, rum, and salt.
  6. Pour 1/2 cup pudding over crumbles in each jar. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, 4–5 hours.

Salted Caramel Topping Ingredients:

  1. Combine the cream and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and boil, occasionally swirling pan, until deep amber color forms, 5–6 minutes – do not stir the mixture or walk away as caramel can burn very quickly! Remove from heat and gradually add vanilla cream – be careful as the mixture will bubble vigorously. Whisk over medium heat until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and salt. Allow to cool slightly about 5 minutes.
  3. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons caramel sauce over each pudding.
  4. Top with whipped cream, if using, then sprinkle some of reserved cookie crumbles over each.

Makes eight 8-ounce budino.

Filed Under: American, Chocolate, Desserts, Eggs, Italian Tagged With: , , , ,
7 May 2012 Easy Bolognese Sauce with Marsala and Maple Syrup

Easy Bolognese Sauce with Marsala and Maple Syrup

May 7, 2012 By

This easy-to-make sauce will develop flavors as it cooks then sits, so prepare it in the morning, let it simmer for 30 minutes or longer and then let it develop flavors as it cools.  Simply reheat it in time for dinner.  Nope, the maple syrup and the Marsala are not typical to Bolognese, but they add a special touch and make this sauce taste like no others.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 3/4 pound ground pork
  • 3/4 pound ground veal
  • 3/4 pound ground beef (20% fat)
  • 2-28 ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine (red wine would be great also)
  • 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (could substitute with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp. each, dry oregano, basil, black pepper and red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 pound tubular pasta, rigatoni works well
  • ½ cup pasta cooking water (optional)
  • ½ cup whole milk (or light cream)
  • 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Increase heat to high, add meats and sauté until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add tomatoes, wine, broth, maple syrup and the spices and stir well.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
  4. Boil pasta to al dente.  Before draining, add a ladleful of pasta cooking water (about ½ cup) to the sauce.  Add the milk to the sauce and stir to combine – reheat if needed.
  5. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir gently to coat it.  Serve with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

6 Servings.

Notes:   This sauce freezes very well, so feel free to double up the recipe!

 

Filed Under: American, Beef, Canadian, Cheese, Entrees, Italian, Maple Syrup, Pasta, Pork, Veal Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
11 March 2012 Easy Marinara Sauce

Easy Marinara Sauce

March 11, 2012 By

When it comes to red pasta sauce, I like meaty ones with lots of simmering time and layers of flavor like my Quebec Meat Sauce and my Ragu alla Bolognese.  Some time though, I want a fresh, quick-to-prepare, light sauce and this Easy Marinara Sauce fits the bill.

This tasty sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for bread or mozzarella sticks, can be tossed with spaghetti or can be used to simmer Oven Baked Veal Meatballs in.  However you use it, your dinner guests are certain to enjoy it.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper , red pepper flakes and sugar
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and sugar and cook for 1 minute more.
  2. Meanwhile, add the tomatoes to a food processor (or crush them by hand) and pulse for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes to the onion mixture in the saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the parsley right before serving.

Make about 4 cups.

 

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Italian, Sides, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , ,
8 March 2012 Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus Risotto

March 8, 2012 By

Nothing is quite as comforting to me as a creamy bowl of risotto.  With some chicken broth, and onion and garlic on hand, I know I always have something great to serve, even at the last minute.

This version of my basic risotto recipe features fresh asparagus that is simply cooked along with the rice.  Who doesn’t love a one-pot recipe!?

Ingredients:

  • 49-ounce can chicken broth
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, divided
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and chopped into one-inch pieces
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer then keep warm over low heat.
  2. In a large heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter with the oil.  Add the onion and garlic and sautee, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the rice to the onion mixture and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes, until the rice is coated in oil and glossy.
  4. Add the wine to the rice and simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add a ladleful (about ½ cup) of warm broth to the rice and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.  Continue to cook for 15 minutes, adding more broth by the ladleful and allowing liquid to evaporate before adding more, stirring frequently.
  6. Add asparagus pieces and continue cooking until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding broth as needed and stirring frequently, about an additional 10 minutes.   All the broth should be gone when the risotto is ready.
  7. Add the Parmesan cheese, 2 remaining tablespoons of butter and the pepper.  Serve.

Makes 2 entrée-size servings or 4 starter-size servings.

Notes: Want to make this a vegetarian dish?  Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth!

 

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Italian, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , ,

7 Fish and Seafood Recipes to get you Through Lent

February 24, 2012 By

Lent is the 40-day period before Easter when practicing Christians abstain from eating meat on Fridays.  During this period of penance which starts on Ash Wednesday and ends of Easter Sunday, it can be difficult to stay creative with non-meat options.  Here are seven fish and seafood recipes to get you through the seven Fridays of Lent.

Cheers,

Veronique

 

Filed Under: American, Asian, Canadian, Entrees, Fish, French, Italian, Pasta, Seafood Tagged With: , , ,
22 February 2012 Nutella Buttercream Frosting

Nutella Buttercream Frosting

February 22, 2012 By

Nutella, the delectable chocolate and hazelnut spread, is a favorite in my family.  My sister and I grew up on the chocolaty elixir and we’ve found many ways to use it throughout the years.  One of my favorite use for Nutella is in frosting that can be used on cakes or cupcakes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks (1/2 cup) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup Nutella
  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the Nutella to the butter and beat to fully incorporate (resist the urge to stick your finger in for a taste).
  3. On low speed, add the confectioner’s sugar, and beat to combine, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the milk, adding more if too stiff to use as frosting.

Makes about 2 cups.

 

 

Filed Under: American, Chocolate, Desserts, Italian Tagged With: , , , , ,
14 December 2011 Stufato di Vitello – Veal Stew

Stufato di Vitello – Veal Stew

December 14, 2011 By

It is that time of year when braised meats and stews just sound wonderful.  This week, my local grocery store had beautiful cubed veal available, so I created this simple-to-prepare, make-ahead, one-pot stew that is great reheated on a week night but elegant enough to serve at a dinner party.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 pounds boneless veal shoulder, cut into 2” pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp. each oregano, salt and pepper
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 pound Cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. In a shallow dish sprinkle the flour over the veal cubes then coat the meat lightly.
  3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until it is nearly smoking.  Season floured meat with salt and pepper, add to hot pot and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes.  If your pot isn’t wide enough to accommodate all the meat in one layer, brown in two batches.  Place cooked veal on a platter and reserve for later use.
  4. In the same pot the meat was seared in, add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened and slightly golden, about 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.  If the onion-mushroom mixture becomes dry while cooking, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and lower the heat to medium.
  5. Add the Dijon mustard, the oregano, the broth and the wine to the onion-mushroom mixture and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  6. Return the veal and its juices to the pot, add the cream, stir well to combine all the ingredients and place in the oven.  Cook for 3 hours.

Serves 4.

Notes:  The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Serve over white rice or egg noodles.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, French, Italian, Mushrooms, Veal Tagged With: , ,
1 August 2011 4-Course Fish and Seafood Tasting Menu Dinner

4-Course Fish and Seafood Tasting Menu Dinner

August 1, 2011 By

Those of you who follow my blog have read about the tasting menu dinners I sometimes host at my home.  This weekend, I decided to do a four-course fish and seafood tasting menu dinner for two featuring some fresh produce and herbs from my garden.

Here are the dishes I served:

Lump Crab & Yellow Tomato Coulis Shooter

Course #1:  Yellow Tomato Coulis and Lump Crab Shooter

I have beautiful yellow tomatoes ripening in my yard that I absolutely love.  They are sweet and fresh and simply delicious.  For this easy starter, I pureed a couple medium yellow tomatoes with excellent olive oil, a few basil leaves, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper in a food processor.  I served about ¼ cup of this golden elixir in a shot glass topped with a tablespoon of lump crab meat and a tiny basil leaf.

Scallop Crudo

Course #2:  Scallop Crudo

I love crudo (“raw” in Italian) dishes in the summer.  In essence, crudo dishes feature raw fish or seafood ‘cured’ in citrus juice, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar.  For those who are not fans of raw fish or seafood, this preparation allows the seafood or fish to cook in the acidic liquid, so give it a try!

I sliced large scallops thinly then cured the slices in a combination of orange and lime juices, a splash of red wine vinegar, sea salt, top quality olive oil, thinly sliced Thai chilies and fresh cilantro leaves.  Absolutely fabulous!

Lobster Tail Risotto

Course #3:  Lobster Tail Risotto

Risotto is uber popular at my home, so knew I had to prepare it for this special meal.  I grilled a 10-ounce lobster tails for 5 minutes, then removed from the shell and sliced carefully.  I made risotto with tons of butter, olive oil, elephant garlic and yellow onion, and then topped the luscious concoction with the lobster tail slices.  Not a bad dish!

Fish Three Ways

Course #4:  Fish Three Ways

I love the idea of serving three fish dishes on one plate. I opted for cod, salmon and yellow fin tuna – pale white to deep red fish.  The cod was marinated in sesame oil, miso and ponzu then lightly sautéed and served over steam soy beans.  The salmon was Dijon mustard and maple syrup-glazed and grilled on a cedar plank then served over leftover glaze.  The tuna was marinated for a short while in steak sauce then grilled to medium rare and served over Taboule salad.  Great flavor and visual contrasts!

Doing this type of meal for two people or six people isn’t difficult.  One needs to make a list of the dishes and accompaniments to be served, make as many of the dishes in advance (or at least prep the dishes) as possible and know what you’ll plate everything on!

Let me know if you try your own tasting menu dinner – cheers!

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Asian, Entrees, Fish, French, Italian, Japanese, Pasta, Seafood, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
13 June 2011 Penne with Fresh Chorizo, Buffalo Mozzarella in a Yellow Tomato Sauce

Penne with Fresh Chorizo, Buffalo Mozzarella in a Yellow Tomato Sauce

June 13, 2011 By

Penne with Fresh Chorizo, Buffalo Mozzarella in a Yellow Tomato Sauce

I simply adore the sweetness of ripe yellow tomatoes and try to find multiple uses for them since I grow them in my garden every summer.  This dish is simple to prepare and very satisfying.  A great way to use up extra grilled sausages from last night’s BBQ.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups, yellow cherry tomatoes
  • 10 fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. each red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper
  • ½ pound dry penne pasta, cooked one minute less than recommended on the box
  • 4 fresh Chorizo links, cooked on the grill then cut into bite-size slices
  • 1 cup cubed fresh buffalo mozzarella
  • Parmesan cheese, for grating

Directions:

  1. Add the tomatoes, basil, oil and spices to a food processor and pulse for 1 minute, until a smooth salsa is created.
  2. Pour the salsa mixture into a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and gently stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the Chorizo slices and the mozzarella to the pasta and stir to combine.  Cook an additional minute.
  4. Serve with a grating of Parmesan cheese.

Serves two generously with some leftovers.

Notes: Can’t find yellow cherry tomatoes? Substitute with red ones and add ½ teaspoon of sugar to the salsa when pureeing.  Fresh Chorizo not readily available where you are? Simply use another spicy sausage in its place.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Italian, Pasta, Pork Tagged With: , , ,

5 Recipes to Treat Your Valentine To

February 14, 2011 By

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash

Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Thought I’d share some of the recipes I’ve made recently that have earned me rave reviews.

5 recipes to treat your Valentine to:

  1. Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Bacon in Sage and Danish Blue Cheese Sauce
  2. Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
  3. Ragu alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce)
  4. Grilled Salmon in Grape Leaves
  5. Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Desserts, Entrees, Fish, Greek, Italian, Mushrooms, Other Neat Things, Pasta, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »