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: , , , , ,
20 February 2012 World’s Best Meringue Recipe

World’s Best Meringue Recipe

February 20, 2012 By

I was searching for a fail-proof meringue recipe for my Baked Alaska and came across an easy-to-make and perfect version by King Arthur Flour.  No messy eggs whites, no egg yolk leftovers to worry about – just a beautifully glossy meringue.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water, boiling
  • 1/4 cup meringue powder

Directions:

  1. Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, stirring to incorporate.  Set aside until cooled.
  2. Add the cooled sugar/water simple syrup to the bowl of an electric mixer and add the meringue powder.  Whip the mixture for three to five minutes, depending on how stiff you want your meringue.

Makes about 3 cups of meringue.

 

 

Filed Under: American, Desserts, French Tagged With: , , ,
19 February 2012 Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Revisited

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Revisited

February 19, 2012 By

Last night, I held a small dinner party for a friend’s birthday.  Since I’ve known him, he’s talked about his mother’s coq au vin, so I decided to fix the traditional French dish for his birthday.  In French, coq au vin means “rooster with wine”).  It’s a rustic French braised dish of chicken cooked in wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic.

For guidance, I turned to the coq au vin queen, Julia Child.  The following recipe takes inspiration from her popular version, featured in her From Julia Child’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:

  • 5 slices thick cut bacon, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 pounds chicken parts (thighs, legs and breasts), thoroughly dried
  • 1/4 cup Cognac
  • 1/2 tsp each thyme, salt and pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 20 pearl onions, peeled
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups red wine (preferably Burgundy Pinot Noir)
  • 2 cups veal stock
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 pound fresh white button mushrooms, quartered and sautéed in 2 Tbsp butter

Directions

  1. Sauté bacon in oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned, 5-8 minutes.  Remove bacon lardons to a paper toweled dish for later use, leaving bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Add the chicken to the bacon fat over medium-high heat, and brown on all sides.  You may need to do this in two batches so the pot isn’t crowded.  Pour in the Cognac, shake pan a few seconds until bubbling hot, then ignite Cognac with a long lighter or a match. Let flame a minute, swirling pan by its handle to burn off alcohol then extinguish with pan cover.
  3. Season chicken pieces with thyme, salt and pepper.  Add bay leaves.  Place onions around the chicken. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.
  4. Uncover pan and sprinkle on the flour, turning chicken and onions so flour is absorbed.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes more, turning once or twice.
  5. Add the wine, the stock, lardons, garlic, tomato paste and mushrooms to the pan.  Cover and simmer slowly 45 minutes.
  6. Serve with buttered wide egg noodles.

Serves 6.

Notes:  I highly suggest you make the dish through step 4 the morning or the day before you want to serve it.  The flavors need to develop for best results.  To reheat, place in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes or simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

 

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, French, Mushrooms, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
18 February 2012 Shrimp and Andouille Etouffée

Shrimp and Andouille Etouffée

February 18, 2012 By

In honor of Mardi Gras on February 21st, I’m offering this simple and delicious etouffée recipe.  In French, the word “étouffée” means “smothered”.  In Louisiana, food that is “smothered” is usually simmered in a small amount of liquid creating a thickened sauce that is served over rice.

The base for any good etouffée is the ‘holy trinity’, a combination of celery, onion and bell pepper, that’s cooked in a dark roux made of butter, oil and flour.  Etouffée can be made with crawfish, shrimp, chicken, and/or spicy sausage.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 Andouille sausage links (about ½ pound), cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, halved
  • 1 12-ounce bottle of medium-bodied beer
  • 1 cup bottled clam juice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pound medium shrimps, shelled, deveined and cooked
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

  1. Add oil to a heavy Dutch oven set over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pot and set aside for later use, keeping the rendered fat in the pot on medium heat.
  2. Add the butter to the hot fat in the pot and when completely melted, add the flour.  Whisk the flour into the fat to incorporate and create a roux.  Cook the roux, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until it is the color of peanut butter, about 10 minutes.
  3. Place the celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to roughly chop, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the processed vegetables to the roux in the pot and stir with a wooden spoon to fully combine.  Cook the mixture over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Add the beer, clam juice and broth to the vegetable mixture and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen up all the brown bits.  Return the sausage to the pot, add the spices, bay leaves and simmer for about 1 hour.
  6. Add the shrimp to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes to warm through.
  7. Serve the etouffée over white rice and garnish with parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

 

 

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Entrees, French, Seafood, Vegetables Tagged With: , ,
9 February 2012 BBQ Pulled Pork over Seared Scallops

BBQ Pulled Pork over Seared Scallops

February 9, 2012 By

For my birthday, my mom gave me a copy of The Art of Living According to Joe Beef.  Joe Beef  is one of Montreal’s culinary gems and its book reads like a gastronomical novel – it’s just beautiful in content and images.

One of the recipes I knew I had to immediately try is the BBQ Pulled Pork over Seared Scallops.  Yes, it’s a bit odd in concept.  No, you haven’t made a better dish than this one at home – guaranteed.

I served this dish as a main course but I’ll have it in my back pocket as an amazing starter for upcoming dinner parties.

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. each salt, pepper, granulated sugar
  • One 4-5 pound pork shoulder (sometimes called Boston Butt)
  • ¼ cup yellow mustard
  • ½ cup water
  • 4-5 jumbo scallops per person
  • Canola oil for frying
  • Sea salt and pepper

Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients:

  • 7 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 cup butter
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice

World’s Best BBQ Sauce, Ever, heated

Pulled Pork Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, salt, pepper and sugar.  Slather the pork with the yellow mustard then coat with the spice mixture.  Place pork in a large Dutch oven and add the water.  Put the pork in the oven for five hours.  After the initial five hours, check for doneness every hour, covering the meat with aluminum foil if it becomes dry or overly browned, until it’s cooked for nine hours total.  The meat should be fork tender.
  3. Allow meat to cool for 15 minutes then, using two forks, pull it off into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl (can be made a day ahead of serving if refrigerated then warmed in hot BBQ sauce).

Hollandaise Sauce Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Allow to cool for 3 minutes.
  2. In a tall container, like a pitcher, add the egg yolks.  Using an immersion blender, add the butter to the yolks in a slow, steady stream until the sauce thickens and is emulsified.
  3. Add the cayenne pepper, the salt and the lemon juice.  Keep sauce at room temperature until ready to use.  Makes about ½ cup.

Plating Directions:

  1. In a large cast iron or non-stick pan over high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering hot.  Add the scallops and cook for two minutes on each side.  Remove onto a paper towel.
  2. For each scallop you’re using: in a medium bowl, add one tablespoon of pork and two tablespoons of hot BBQ sauce.  Combine meat and sauce well.
  3. Add a tablespoon of Hollandaise sauce per scallop on a plate (1-2 for a starter or 4-5 for an entrée).  Top the sauce with a scallop.  Top each scallop with a tablespoon of BBQ-sauced pulled pork.

Notes:  The pulled pork in its state at the end of step 3 of “Pulled Pork Directions” can be used in a multitude of ways when combined with BBQ sauce: pulled pork sandwich, as a topping for pizza, in tacos, etc…

 

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Eggs, Entrees, Pork, Seafood, Starters Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
6 February 2012 Aunt Mary’s Caramels

Aunt Mary’s Caramels

February 6, 2012 By

Everyone at work knows I am a food and wine blogger.  At Christmas time, Judie, who I work with, brought me a tin of handmade caramels that she told me were a family heirloom.  Her Aunt Mary’s caramel recipe is loved by everyone in her family, but Judie is the only one to carry on the tradition of caramel-making.  Since the caramels were some of the best I have had, I implored her for the recipe, but alas, she would not part with it.

Come January, and my 40th birthday, Judie brought me a mini gift bag with, to my surprise and joy, a copy of Aunt Mary’s Caramel recipe in it.  It is with Judie’s approval that I share the recipe with all of you.

Ingredients:

  • 14-ounce can of condensed milk
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 sticks (½ pound) butter, divided
  • Fleur de sel or gray salt (optional)

Directions:

  1. Add the condensed milk, corn syrup, brown sugar, cider vinegar and one stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly for 12 minutes.
  2. Add the remaining stick of butter and bring back to a boil.  Continue cooking at a boil for 13 minutes, or at soft ball stage ~ 245 – 250 degrees F.
  3. Pour mixture into a buttered 8×8 or 7×10 metal pan and allow to cool overnight at room temperature.
  4. Once cooled completely, unmold the caramel onto a cutting board, cut into 1” squares, sprinkle with gray salt (optional) and wrap in wax paper.

Yields about 65 caramel squares.

Notes:  Do not double the recipe.  Make sure you wear a mitt when pouring the hot liquid into the pan to prevent burns from any splattering.

 

 

Filed Under: American, Desserts Tagged With: , , ,
4 February 2012 Easy and Elegant 4-Course Valentine’s Day Dinner

Easy and Elegant 4-Course Valentine’s Day Dinner

February 4, 2012 By

Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Here are four, simple-to-make dishes along with wine pairings that are sure to show your loved one(s) how much you care.

BONUS – breakfast:  Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes

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

Cheers,

Veronique

 

Filed Under: American, Beef, Breakfast, Canadian, Cheese, Desserts, Entrees, French, Fruits, Other Neat Things, Soups, Starters Tagged With: , , ,
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