Individual Chicken Pot Pies

It has been so cold in Southern California lately that we've been trying to use the oven as often as possible to keep our tiny apartment warm. And when it's this cold outside, Matthew and I crave comfort foods and these chicken pot pies are probably the ultimate comfort food, next to fried chicken. I used the Barefoot Contessa's recipe, but I didn't make my dough from scratch, and I used frozen veggies instead of fresh.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 2 big individual pies or 4 small ones)

• 1 whole (2 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup yellow onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup heavy cream
• 1 bag (16oz) frozen stew vegetables (contains carrots, celery, potatoes and pearl onions)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• Frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 2 to 4 cups of cubed chicken. You can save time and use a rotisserie chicken instead!

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, the frozen stew vegetables and and parsley. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Keep the oven at 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 2 or 4 ovenproof bowls.

Cut the pastry sheets into 4 pieces and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, and then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Poorman's Crab Cakes

These tuna cakes take me back to a time when I was a little girl and I loved, just loved watching The Love Boat with my brothers--even though none of us understood English at the time! During those days, my mom had to feed three very hungry kids. But since money was a bit scarce, my mom made up recipes that were clever because she used ingredients that were always available and oftentimes cheap. I called these poor man's crab cakes because after I made them for Matt last night, he actually thought they were made out of crab and he preferred these to crab cakes. Can you believe it?

INGREDIENTS (makes 6 tuna cakes)

• 2 cans of tuna in water, drained
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• Pinch of salt
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp. flour
• Olive oil
• 8 oz. canned crushed tomatoes and its juice
• 1/4 tsp. Spike Seasoning or your favorite seasoning salt
• Steamed white rice, as a side

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, combine first 8 ingredients and mix well. Place in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Start cooking your rice, if you haven't done so yet.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high. Mix the tuna mixture again (it will be a little watery) and divide into 6 equal parts and slightly flatten them into patties.

Once the oil begins to shimmer, add 3 tuna cakes and cook for 3 minutes. Flip cakes over and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cakes and cover with foil to keep warm and finish cooking the remaining cakes, adding more olive oil to skillet, as needed.

Once the final batch is done, keep warm in foil. Add the crushed tomatoes to the same skillet and 1/4 teaspoon Spike seasoning and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Add all the cakes back into the skillet with tomato sauce and simmer one more minute. Remove from heat.

To serve, place two to three cakes in a plate, drizzled with some of the tomato sauce and with a side of cooked white rice. Mmmmm....thanks, mom!

Spicy Habanero BBQ Chicken

While we were in Portland, Oregon, we ate at Roots Brewery and they had the best Habanero hot sauce called Secret Aardvark Habanero Sauce. We got a bottle and brought it home. Unfortunately we found out that they don't sell this stuff anywhere outside Portland. So, for this recipe you can use your favorite smokey habanero hot sauce, but if you ever do end up in Portland, make sure you buy yourself a case of this stuff and send me some!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• 4 chicken pieces, such as legs, thighs and/or wings, with skin on
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 up to 1/2 cup Secret Aardvark Habanero Sauce, depending on how hot you can handle it
• 1 (8oz) can Dole pineapple chunks in 100% real juice, with juice reserved
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup chicken stock

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl combine olive oil, salt, pepper, Secret Aardvark sauce, and the reserved pineapple juice. Place chicken in a large zip-loc bag and add the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Place a cast-iron skillet or an oven-proof skillet with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil on the stove and heat on medium high. Remove chicken from marinade and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Discard marinade. Place the skillet in the oven and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Once chicken is done, remove and wrap well in foil to keep warm. Remove all but 1 teaspoon oil from skillet. Place the skillet back on the stove and heat on medium high again. You should have lots of brown bits in the skillet. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add orange juice, chicken stock and pineapple pieces, scrapping the brown bits. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for a couple of minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Serve chicken with some of the sauce and pineapple pieces drizzled over it. Serve with a side of steamed white rice and extra Secret Aardvark Sauce if you dare! Stone Old Guardian beer goes well with this dish to keep your mouth from burning up!

Garlicky Baked Salmon

I've been kind of lax with my postings lately and that has to do with two things: 1. my camera died and I can't take pictures of my food and 2. I haven't been trying any new recipes lately. Anyway, I've been getting into the cooking groove again and I made this very simple but quite flavorful dish. Try to get the freshest salmon for this because it really makes a difference.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• 2 Salmon fillets, 6 oz. each
• Butter (real butter)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into slices

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Place a large piece of foil onto a baking sheet (you want the foil to be large enough to create a tent over fish). Smear the center of foil with butter.

Meanwhile, rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towel. Drizzle olive oil all over both salmon fillets, then season with salt and pepper and divide the garlic on both sides of each fillet.

Place the fillets on top of smeared butter on foil, then place a pat of butter (or two) over each fillet, followed by two slices of lemon over each piece. Bring the corners of foil together to create a tent and make sure all sides a closed tightly.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with your favorite side dish (I served it with cannelloni beans and sauteed spinach) however plain white rice and steamed broccoli will also go well with this dish.

Creamy Grits with Shrimp

If you've ever been to the South, you've probably had shrimp and grits for breakfast or even lunch. This is a super yummy, creamy and rich dish that I just love. I used instant grits because I could not find stone-ground grits in San Diego, however my grits came out so creamy and delish you couldn't tell they were instant. After Matthew ate the dish, he lovingly said, "Kiss My Grits" to me. I think he meant it in a good way. Hmmm..

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup hot stock (shrimp, chicken, or vegetable)
• 1/4 cup butter
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup quick-cooking grits
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 6 bacon slices
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, water, and hot stock; bring to a gentle boil. Add butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly (so that the grits do not settle to the bottom and scorch), until all are added reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Grits should have absorbed all of the liquid and become soft and should have the same consistency as oatmeal (moist, not dry). If the grits become too thick, add warm stock or water to thin. Remove from heat.
2. Sprinkle shrimp with lemon juice, salt, and pepper; set aside.
3. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until brown but not crisp. Remove from heat and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Coarsely chop bacon when cool.
4. Reserve 4 tablespoons bacon grease in the frying pan. Add onion, garlic, and red bell pepper; sauté 7 minutes or until the onion is transparent. Add shrimp mixture and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in center. Lastly, add the chopped bacon to quickly heat through. Remove from heat.
5. To serve, spoon hot grits onto individual serving plates and top with shrimp and bell pepper mixture. Your Mama would be proud!

Cocktails: Black Velvet

If there is a cocktail that best describes me and my boo, I think this is the one! This cocktail contains Guinness, for the Irishness of Matt, and champagne, for the fabulousness in me. How perfect is that? Cheers!

INGREDIENTS

• Champagne
• Guinness

DIRECTIONS

Half fill a champagne flute with Guinness and gently pour the champagne over the back of a spoon so the liquid runs down the sides, this avoids mixing the two liquids.

VARIATION

Is champagne too spendy for you, or not your thing? Then make a Poor Man's Black Velvet by replacing the champagne with hard apple cider. In a pint glass, add the cider halfway up as the bottom layer and then slowly add the Guinness over the back of a spoon, to make the top layer.

"Mock" Huevos Rancheros

Last weekend, Matthew and I were in Portland, Oregon visiting my lovely cousins. I 'd forgotten that my cuz, Melissa, was a vegetarian--can you believe a Mexican vegetarian? Anyhoo, she invited us over for Sunday brunch and she made the most delicious mock huevos rancheros. If you're not a vegetarian, just substitute fried, over-easy eggs instead of tofu, and you've got yourself one awesome breakfast. But even with the tofu, this dish is delicioso!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 1 Block of firm tofu, drained well and cut into 1/4" or 1/2" cutlets
• Spike Seasoning (a must!)
• 8 Corn tortillas
• Oil for frying
• 1 can of El Pato tomato sauce (15 oz)--also a must!
• Cilantro, for garnish
• Sliced avocados, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Season the tofu on both sides with Spike seasoning. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat and pan-fry tofu for a few minutes (you want it nicely browned) then flip tofu and pan-fry on other side. Set aside and keep warm.

In a sauce pan wide enough to fit a tortilla, add the El Pato tomato sauce and heat to a simmer, then keep it on low heat.

Clean out skillet where you fried the tofu and add about 1/2" of oil and heat on medium-high. Once oil is bubbly, add a tortilla and fry for 30 seconds, flip over and fry for 20 more seconds. Them quickly place tortilla into the tomato sauce and dip it in just to coat on both sides, then set aside on another plate. Continue this process with remaining tortillas, working quickly, if possible.

To serve, place two crisp tortillas in each plate, then top with a tofu slice/cutlet. Drizzle a bit of the remaining tomato sauce, and garnish with cilantro and avocados.

The Perfect Tortilla (Española)

There are a few dishes that I can say I'm an expert on. One of them is, of course, ceviche. Another one is the perfect rib eye steak, and there's always my scrumptious jambalaya. So I figured that if I want to increase my cooking repertoire, I have to get another Diva signature dish under my belt. So, after several tries, I have finally conquered the tortilla Española. So my friend, give this a try. The best thing about this recipe is that you can make it the day before or even the morning of, and it will be fantastic.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6 - 8 as an appetizer)

• Olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper or half of a large one, thinly sliced into 2" pieces
• 1 small red bell pepper or half of a large one, thinly sliced into 2" pieces
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
• 6 large eggs or 5 XL eggs
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and cook for 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and add bell peppers (green and red) and chopped garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook slowly for 10 more minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

Wipe the skillet and add about 1/2 cup of olive oil and heat on medium-high. Once the olive oil starts to shimmer a little, add all the diced potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Toss for a two minutes then lower heat to medium-low. Put a lid on skillet or cover with the skillet with a plate and let potatoes cook for 15 minutes--just remember to keep tossing every 5 minutes or so. You want the potatoes to cook through yet not be mushy. Drain the potatoes on a colander and set aside.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a bit more black pepper. Mix potatoes, onions and peppers lightly, until well combined and set aside.

In a 10 inch non-stick skillet, add 1 teaspoon olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the potato/egg mixture and pat down. Let cook for 3 minutes then lower heat to medium-low again and cover. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, checking the sides to make sure it doesn't get burnt.

Place a plate over the top of skillet and flip it over (see movie below).

Cook the tortilla on the other side also on medium-low for another 10 minutes. Once tortilla is done, slide it into to your serving plate and let it cool down to room-temperature. The tortilla tastes best at room temperature and with a side of aioli. Buen provecho!

Diva's Amazing (and super easy) Aioli Sauce

• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• The juice of half of a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup Best Foods Mayo
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and place in fridge for a few hours for flavors to marry. Serve at room temperature with the tortilla.

Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

As you all know, I'm not a good baker, so when I see recipe that only involves three ingredients I totally have to go for it. I'm not a big peanut butter fan (unless I eat it with bananas), but I did like these cookies. And if you're a fan of the Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey Ice Cream, crumble some of these cookies for a peanut butter kick!

INGREDIENTS (makes about 1 dozen)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

DIRECTIONS

Combine sugar and egg in mixing bowl, stirring till smooth. Add peanut butter and mix in thoroughly. Roll into walnut-sized balls. Place the balls on ungreased cookie sheets at least 2" apart.

Flatten with the tines of a fork. Turn 90 degrees and use fork again to create cross hatches.

Bake 10 minutes at 375F (or till done). Let cool in pan for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack.

Potato-Crusted Salmon Fillet

As the holidays approach, Matt and I have been eating lots of cookies and cakes and breads and we've been going to many holiday parties. So we haven't been really eating very healthy and we've been loading up on carbs. In an effort to eat healthy, I found this recipe. I liked it because it's protein rich and it has just a bit of carbos with the potatoes. Plus, salmon is my favorite fish. A light-oaky chardonnay goes wonderful with this dish.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

FOR THE FISH

• 3/4 lb salmon fillet with skin on
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 fresh sprigs thyme, leaves stripped from stems
• 1 medium-sized russet potato
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoon olive oil

FOR THE SAUCE

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• salt and white pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cut the salmon fillet vertically into two strips, one for each serving. Remove the pin bones from the fish with a pair of needle-nose pliers, or by hand if you can get a good grip. Place the strips skin side down and season with the pepper, salt, and thyme.

Peel the potato and slice as thin as possible (the should be flexible and translucent) with a mandoline or sharp knife. Cut the cloves of garlic in half lengthwise, score the cut surfaces with a knife, and rub garlic over the potato slices. Cover the surface of the salmon with a layer of the potato slices. Add a second layer, draping it from the top over the sides of the fish.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over a medium flame. Once it is melted and bubbling, add the flour and stir thoroughly until a uniform paste is formed. Continue cooking until the roux just starts to brown. Add a quarter of the milk, and whisk to incorporate. Repeat three more times until all the milk has been added. Lower the flame to prevent boiling. Cook, stirring a couple of times, for five minutes, then whisk in the mustard. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Heat a large skillet over a medium flame. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. It should shimmer, and begin to just barely smoke. Place the fish potato side down in the pan. Be careful not to bend the fish. Cook for two minutes. Once a crispy crust is formed, carefully turn the fish over so that the skin side is down. The potato crust should be a lovely golden brown.

Continue to cook until the skin becomes crisp and the fish is medium rare to medium. This should take about four or five minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. A small knife tip in the side of the fish can be used to check doneness.

To serve, place the fish potato-side up and drizzle some of the Dijon sauce on the side. Serve with a side of sauteed spinach and sauteed baby carrots.

T-Bone Steak

I am a master at cooking rib-eye steaks, so when I bought the biggest T-bone Steak (on sale) that I've ever seen, I said to myself, "bring it on!"

As always, I first looked for recipes in my cookbooks, but surprisingly there weren't any interesting recipes. So I made my own wet rub for the steak and served chimichurri on the side and, oh my goodness, it was perfection.

In case you didn't know already, chimichurri is a pesto-like sauce that originated in Argentina. It's bright green in color and a bit pungent and tangy to the tongue. This is an excellent sauce to serve on the side of steaks. I think you can also marinate beef in this jolly green juice. Que bueno!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

DIVA'S RUB

• 1 T-bone Steak, about 1/2 pound (or a bit more) and 1" thick--one of these was enough for Matt and I, but you can double the recipe if you want to make 2 steaks.
• Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

CHIMICHURRI

• 1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, washed, stemmed, and dried
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

For the steak: rinse steak in cold water and pat dry. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil all over the steak. In a small bowl combine the remaining rub ingredients and mix to combine. Generously sprinkle the rub all over the steak. Cover steak with plastic wrap and let it marinate in fridge for 1 to 2 hours. Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before you're ready to cook it to bring it to room temperature.

For the chimichurri: finely chop the parsley and garlic in a food processor. Add the onion, vinegar, water, salt, oregano, pepper flakes, and black pepper and process in brief bursts until the salt crystals are dissolved. Add the oil in a thin stream. Do not over process; the chimichurri should be fairly coarse. Correct the seasoning, adding salt or vinegar to taste.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In an oven proof pan or cast-iron skillet add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and heat on medium-high. When the oil is hot, place your steak on pan. DO NOT MOVE IT! Let is sear for exactly 4 minutes. Turn over and sear for 2 minutes more. With your oven-mittens on, carefully place the pan in oven and let it finish cooking. Bake 5 minutes for medium-rare, up to 10 minutes for medium-well. Don't go longer than 10 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let the steak rest for EXACTLY 5 minutes. Cut out the "T" bone and with a sharp knife, carve the beef into broad thin slices, holding the knife blade at a 45 degree angle to the top of the meat. Serve at once with chimichurri on the side. Baked potatoes or shoestring potatoes go extremely well with this dish.

Lussekatter (Swedish St. Lucia Buns)

Matthew has been on a baking kick lately. Yesterday he made (by accident) a brioche loaf, which was excellent after he sliced it and made it into French toast (recipe coming soon). So we have been looking for new bread recipes that are not very common for us, and this one caught my eye: Lussekatter, or St. Lucia Buns, which are traditional breads served in most Swedish homes on December 13th. These are moist, tasty and very yellow buns. I have no idea who St. Lucia was, or why Sweden celebrates this day--because I think St. Lucia is Italian--but I figured since Matt's family is part Scandinavian we'd give it a try. By the way, "lussekatter" translates to "Lucia cats." Meow!

INGREDIENTS (makes 12 buns)

• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 package yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron
• 2 and 3/4 cups flour
• vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• Raisins

DIRECTIONS

Place milk and butter in a small saucepan. Heat on medium until the butter melts.

In a large bowl mix the warm water and yeast and let stand 60 seconds. Add the warm milk and butter mixture. Then add the egg, sugar, salt, and saffron.

Add 1-1/2 cups of flour. Mix well. Add more flour gradually until the dough is stiff. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Coat the bowl with a little vegetable oil and put in your dough ball. Cover with a towel and let the dough rise until it is doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 sections. Roll each section into a rope. Cross two ropes in the middle and curl the ends into circles (see diagram). Carefully place the buns on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise until they are doubled in size. Mix and egg and water and brush the tops of the buns. Decorate with raisins on each end (see diagram) and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza Margherita, Sort Of

I just love buying ready-made pizza dough. I really love the pizza dough that Mona Lisa sells in their deli in Little Italy (SD), but Trader Joe's pizza dough comes in a close second. The reason I love to use pizza dough is because I can make it as thin or thick as I want. I personally love thin crusts with crusty edges...yummy. The traditional pizza margherita has tomato sauce, basil, fresh mozzarella and a Parmesan cheese, however since I had a pint of ricotta in the fridge I decided to go with that instead of fresh mozzarella. When making pizza, make sure you take the dough out of the fridge 30 minutes before you shape it because room-temperature dough will be easier to work with.

INGREDIENTS (makes one pizza)

• Store bough pizza dough,
• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (use San Marzano tomatoes, if possible)
• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly, ground black pepper
• Several fresh basil leaves (about 10), if they are very big you can coarsely chopped them
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and, if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.

Form dough into a 12-inch pizza round or rectangle to 1/2" thick or thinner. Place on a pizza peel or sheet pan.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and process until smooth.

Pour sauce over pizza and smooth to spread evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges of the dough. Sprinkle basil leaves on top of sauce and then top with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Finally, drop teaspoonfuls of ricotta then sprinkle mozzarella and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden brown. It's so easy and so good!

Gnocchi Parisienne

So, as some of you may know, I have a difficult time making gnocchi or dumplings. Actually, anything that involved making a light pastry with mashed potatoes. So, when I saw this ridiculously easy recipe for gnocchi without using mashed potatoes, I just had to try it. And you know what, they were delish! I took this recipe straight of my my Food & Wine magazine and I didn't change a thing...except that I used a combination of different cheeses.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyère or Asiago cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, combine the water, salt and nutmeg with 2 tablespoons of the butter and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water boils, add the flour all at once and beat the dough with a wooden spoon until it is thick and comes away from the side of the pan. Cook, stirring to dry out the dough, about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a medium bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Beat 1 egg into the dough until incorporated. Beat in 1/4 cup of the cheese and another egg until blended, then beat in the last egg until the dough is very smooth.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set a bowl of ice water near the stove. With a large spatula, transfer the dough to a resealable plastic bag, pressing it into one corner. Cut off the tip of the bag; the opening should be about 1/2 inch long.
4. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Carefully hold the bag over the water and press out the dough, using a small sharp knife to cut it into 1 1/2-inch lengths before it drops into the pot (see Note). Simmer the gnocchi for 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Transfer the gnocchi to paper towels and pat dry.
5. Grease a 9-by-12-inch baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Arrange the gnocchi in the dish and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Bake until puffed, about 25 minutes. Preheat the broiler. Broil the gnocchi 6 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned. Serve right away with the meatballs in tomato sauce. Bon appetit!

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, French Style

I saw this recipe in Food and Wine magazine and when I realized Chef Jacques Pépin created it, I had to try it. But of course, being the Virgo that I am, I gave it a few of my own touches. The meatballs are quite easy to make and the tomato sauce is so wonderful and flavorful you will be surprised how easy it is. You can make the entire meal in about 40 minutes or less and make sure you have a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau open and ready for your meal!

INGREDIENTS

MEATBALLS

• 1/2 pound ground sirloin
• 1/4 pound Italian bulk sausage
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with their liquid
• 1/3 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

MAKE THE MEATBALLS: In a large bowl, mix all of meatball ingredients with your hands until blended, but do not overwork meat. Form the mixture into 16 meatballs and flatten slightly.

Arrange the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 5 minutes. Turn over and bake another 6 to 7 minutes until firm but not hard. Transfer the meatballs to a large plate.

MAKE THE SAUCE: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, thyme and oregano and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook over moderate heat for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until slightly chunky; alternatively, puree the sauce in blender and return the sauce to the saucepan.

In amall saucepan, cover the olives with water and bring to a boil over high heat; drain well. Add the olives to the tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and simmer 5 more minutes or until heated through and serve. You can serve the meatballs with Gnocchi Parisienne (recipe coming soon) or spaghetti.

Pasta de Sardine

On weeknights when both Matt and I get home late from work, I turn to this super easy pasta to make for dinner. I came up with this recipe after I saw a can of Moroccan sardines in chili oil at my new favorite grocery store, North Park Produce. You can make this in about 15 minutes and the taste is not so fishy as you may think. I was quite surprised that both of us ate up the entire dish!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 (3.75 ounce) can sardines in chili oil, drained (reserve 1 teaspoon chili oil)
• 1 cup jarred marinara sauce
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for about 8 minutes, or until almost tender.

While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil plus reserved chili oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Then stir in the sardines, red pepper flakes and reduce heat to low, and simmer until the pasta is ready.

When the pasta is almost done, drain, and add it to the sardine sauce. Stir, cover, and turn the heat off. Let stand for a few minutes to absorb the flavors of the sauce. Squeeze juice from the lemon over the pasta and the parsley and mix to combine. Divide onto serving plates, and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Pan de Muerto - Day of the Dead Bread

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition inherited from the rituals that were once practiced by the Aztecs, Toltecas, Chichimecas and Mayan people. According to tradition, during the 1st and 2nd day of November, souls of the dead return to their homes on Earth to share with their living relatives the foods that were placed in their altars. The most common food placed in altars, or tombs, is the Pan de Muerto or Day of the Dead bread.

The Pan de Muerto is sweet bread flavored with anise seeds, orange peel and sugar. The bread is often shaped into a large round, to symbolize the tomb or grave, with a smaller round on top, which symbolizes the head of the dead relative, and the lateral decorations, symbolizes the bones. I'm not entirely sure why the breads are shaped like this, but lately some fancy bakeries have been shaping them into skulls and even animal shapes, for the dead family pets. You can decorate the breads with colored sugars or gel food coloring, if you want. The best part is that you get to eat the bread, and believe me it's surprisingly good, although I'm not a big anise fan.

My husband, Matt, made these lovely breads and we're putting them in the altar of my brother, Robert, and my uncle Manuel, my abuelito, Tomas, and Lindsey's mom, Barbara.

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 to 6 loaves)

Dough

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons anise seed
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons orange zest

Glaze

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons white sugar, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

Heat the milk and the butter together in a medium saucepan, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add them warm water. The mixture should be around 110 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape it into 4 to 6 round loaves with a round knob on top and smaller ropes going down laterally (see picture). Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until just about doubled in size.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly then brush with glaze.

To make glaze: In a small saucepan combine the 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with white sugar.