R.I.P Laptop

My laptop died (sigh) so I have been unable to update my blog and my pictures. When I get a new computer, or perhaps decide to procrastinate at work, I will update with my most recent dishes, including:

• Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Espanola) 
• Smoked Turkey and Artichoke Panini
• Curried Lamb with Lentils
• California Seafood Stew 
• Curry Shrimp Fried Rice

Mussels a la Mariniere

Mussels are delicious, and ridiculously easy to make. I made this one night for a snack. Very easy and pretty tasty for the amount of effort required. Serve with crunchy bread to soak up the sauce.

Ingredients...

• 16 fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 teaspoons margarine or butter
• 1 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions...

1. Place mussels in a large bowl with cold water to cover. Let them soak for about 20 minutes to remove any dirt or sand.
2. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and saute for one minute, but do not brown. Add the chopped green onion and tomatoes, and cook until almost tender. Pour in the white wine, and stir in the parsley and butter. Bring to a boil, and allow to boil until the liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the mussels to the pot, cover and allow to cook until the shells are opened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mussels and sauce to a large serving bowl, discarding any unopened shells. Serve with bread.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pattis-mussels-a-la-mariniere/detail.aspx

Asparagus Alla Fontina

Love asparagus so this dish was a must-try. It's kind of like a quiche without the crust. Also love the prosciutto and Gruyere cheese in this dish.

Ingredients...

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup grated Gruyere or fontina cheese
• 3/4 cup finely minced or slivered prosciutto (about 4 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3 to 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions...

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, 3to 4 minutes. Drain.
2. Cut the asparagus into 1- to 1 1/2-inch lengths. Return the asparagus to the pot, add the butter, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set over low heat and stir to melt the butter.
3. Turn the asparagus and butter into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate, and arrange in an even layer. Sprinkle with the Gruyere, prosciutto, and parsley. Pour the beaten eggs on top, gently shaking the pan to  distribute. Top with the Parmesan.
4. Bake until eggs are set into a custard and a golden brown crust forms on top, above 35 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Fettucine with Preserved Lemon and Roasted Garlic

I made this pasta dish to accompany the Parmesan chicken (posted previously). It's a nice dish. I had never heard of "preserved lemon," but luckily I found it in the grocery store with little problems. P.s., not the best picture... oh well.

Ingredients...

• 2 heads garlic
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt
• 1 pound fettucine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 preserved lemon, pulp and rind finely chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions...

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop the top  third of each head of garlic and discard. Drizzle the heads with a teaspoon each of olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast until the garlic is very soft and golden brown, 50 to 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
2. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettucine until al dente. Toward the end of cooking, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta and place in a serving bowl. 
4. Meanwhile, combine the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. When the butter melts, add the roasted garlic and preserved lemon and cook for 1 minute.
5. Toss the fettucine with the preserved lemon  mixture. Toss again with the Parmesan and parsley, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if needed.

Serves 4 as a light main course, 6 as a first course.

Source: The Essential New York Times Cook Book
Recipe by: Molly O'Neill

Breaded Chicken Breasts with Parmesan Cheese

Great chicken recipe, flavorful and juicy. Great go-to weeknight chicken recipe. Will definitely do again, and soon...

Ingredients...

• 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons corn, peanut, or vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions...

1. Cut away and discard any white membranes or traces of fat from the breast halves. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Dip the breasts in the flour. Coat well, and shake off the excess.
2. Combine the eggs with the water and salt and pepper to taste in another shallow dish and beat to blend. Combine the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese in a third dish and blend.
3. Dip the breast halves  in the egg mixture, coating thoroughly. Drain off excess. Dip the pieces in the bread crumb mixture, also coating thoroughly. Put the pieces lightly with the side of a large knife to make the crumbs adhere.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the breasts (can do in 2 batches) and cook until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the second side.
5. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter; pour off the fat, if there is any, from the skillet. Add the butter and cook the butter until bubbling. Add the tarragon and lemon juice; blend. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Serves 4.

Source: The Essential New York Times Cook Book
Recipe by: Pierre Franey

Conchiglie Al Forno with Mushrooms and Radicchio

I made this dish a few months ago, and I've made it twice. The first time I cooked it in a large pyrex rectangular dish. I advise against this because since this kind of dish is shallow, you will have too many crispy noodles. When I made it again in a 2-quart casserole dish, it turned out much better. If you want to make this dish, you must love cheese. There is Parmesan, Bel Paese, and Gorgonzola cheese in this recipe so it is very rich and cheesy.

Ingredients...

• Salt
• 6 ounches shiitake mushrooms, cleaned
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 pound conchiglie rigate (medium ridged pasta shells)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 small heads raddicchio, cored and finely shredded
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Bel Paese cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
• Coarse salt
• 6 sage leaves (optional)

Note: If you can't find Bel Paese cheese, ask someone in the store for their most similar cheese.

Directions...

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
2. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4 inch thick. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are softened. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, if desired. Drain the pasta. Run cold water over it to stop the cooking process, then drain again.
4. Combine the cream, shredded radicchio, Parmesan, Bel Paese, Gorgonzola, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add the pasta and toss. Stir in salt to taste and the sage leaves, if desired.
5. Butter a glass or eathernware baking dish (casserole dish). Transfer the pasta mixture to the dish. Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes,  until the pasta is bubbly and crusty brown on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 as a main course.

Source: The Essential New York Times Cook Book
Adapted from George Germon and Johanne Killeen.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Duxelles and Sausage

I love mushrooms, so naturally I saw this recipe and had to make it. I've made these mushrooms twice and I plan to make them again on Christmas Eve for my family. These stuffed mushrooms are delicious and very juicy. A must-try if you're a mushroom fan like me. This recipe is by Craig Claiborne, as seen in the Essential NYTimes Cookbook.

Ingredients...

For the Duxelles

• 1 pound large white mushrooms, trimmed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For  the Stuffing

• 1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions...

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. To prepare the duxelles, remove the stems from the mushrooms. Reserve the 12 largest caps. Finely chop the stops and remaining caps. Measure out 1 cup.
2. Heat the  butter and  oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and shallot and cook until wilted. Add the chopped mushroom stems and stir. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until all of the moisture has evaporated. Let cool briefly.
3. To make the stuffing, add the sausage and parsley to the duxelles and blend well. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stuff the reserved mushroom caps with the sausage mixture, mounding it a bit. Sprinkle with a blend of the crumbs and cheese. Dot with the butter.
5. Grease a baking dish and arrange the caps stuffed side up in the dish. Bake for about 20 minutes, basting occasionally if there are any cooking juices (if not, don't worry), or until heated through and browned. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 4.