Hello everyone! I’m back with another recipe. This time, it’s one I thought of on my own and it’s really simple to make, despite the cost of some of the ingredients. I visited Rome, Italy a few years ago and that was my first experience with Pesto. It was so delicious and fresh that I wanted to make it at home. Well it took me a while but I finally did manage to make my very own batch and believe me when I say that it is DELICIOUS and extremely simple to make.
Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
One pack of Fresh Basil (available at many mega-marts)
One pack of Pine Nuts (also available at many mega-marts)
1.5 Cups of Olive Oil
Heavy Pinch of Grated Romano Cheese
4 – 5 Cloves of Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Small pinch of Oregano or Rosemary
Hardware:
Blender
Half Sheet Pan
Spatula
Spread out the Pine Nuts on the sheet pan and toast at 400-degrees until lightly browned. Keep a watchful eye on these guys. They burn easy.
Add all other ingredients into the blender and then add the Pine Nuts when they’re done.
Blend the whole thing until smooth.
Pour over your favorite pasta dish or meat dish and serve!
How simple was that? This dish literally takes no time at all to make and it’s a ready-to-eat sauce that requires almost no cooking! And as I briefly mentioned, pasta isn’t the only thing Pesto can be paired with. It goes really well with meats as well! Enjoy!
Hey everyone! Sorry for the slight delay in posts. Class has got my full attention for a while, but I’m back! First of all, I really need to thank everyone who helped my blog hit over 2000 views all time. It really means a lot to me and I’ll continue to churn out posts for your reading pleasure. Here’s to another 2000! Now that that’s out of the way, I’ve got a new recipe for you, straight from my class recipe guide. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but trust me, done right, they are absolutely fantastic, especially if the raisins got a little flavor augmentation. But I’ll get into that later. So, enjoy!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:
12 Ounces of Room Temperature Butter
14 Ounces of Brown Sugar (Light or Dark, it doesn’t matter)
5 Ounces of Granulated Sugar
5 Whole Eggs
1/8 Ounce of Baking Soda
1/8 Ounce of Salt
14 Ounces of Rolled Oats
9 Ounces of All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 Ounce of Cinnamon
6 Ounces of Raisins (soaked in Rum, if you’re feeling adventurous)
Hardware:
#100 Scoop/Disher
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
Electronic Scale
Measuring Spoons
Whisk
Chef’s Knife
Small Bowl
Mesh Strainer or other sifting device
Sheet Pan(s)
Parchment Paper
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the butter into small cubes and put them inside the mixing bowl of the KitchenAid.
Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter and cream, using the paddle attachment, until the mixture is smooth and lighter in color. Now, when I say “cream,” it means to beat on about medium-high speed. What this does is aerates the butter by punching small holes in it using the sugar crystals. This will aid in leavening later on.
Beat the eggs in the smaller bowl and then add the Vanilla extract. This will make adding them to the mixture easier.
Sift the baking soda, salt, flour and cinnamon together and set that mixture aside for now.
When the butter and sugar have reached the proper consistency, drop the speed to low and SLOWLY add the egg/vanilla mixture until a homogeneous mass forms. You may need to scrape down the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl to ensure a fully homogenized mixture.
When the eggs and vanilla re fully incorporated, dump in all sifted ingredients at once, followed by the oats and then the raisins. Again, you can soak the raisins in a bit of rum for more flavor and a bit of a kick.
Mix until everything comes together.
Using your #100 scoop/disher, portion out the dough onto one or two sheetpans lined with parchment paper. I usually line them up in a 6 x 5 pattern.
Bake at 350-degrees for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the outside is crisp, while the middle part is still moist and chewy.
Best part about Oatmeal Raisin Cookies? Not only are they good, they’re good for you! Well, maybe without the rum-soaked raisins. Then they’re just plain good! Enjoy!
Now I know what you’re thinking already. Risotto? Really? Isn’t that the fussiest dish of all time? I only have one thing to say in response: RELAX. Ratatouille was fussy as well and look how easy that turned out! Trust me, the things you see on TV or in movies that show Risotto to be fussy and time consuming are only half-truths. Yes, it does require some time to make, but at the same time, it’s not rocket science! So allow me to assuage your fears and show you that Risotto is indeed easy to make and absolutely delicious when it’s all said and done.
Risotto
Ingredients:
1 Cup of any Short Grain Rice
2 Ounces and 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic
1/2 Cup of Finely Chopped Onions
1 Cup of Peeled, Seeded and Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 Cup of White Wine
2 Cups of Hot Chicken Stock
4 Ounces of Sliced Mushrooms
1 Tablespoon of Chopped Parsley
1 Teaspoon of Butter
2 Ounces of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hardware:
Medium Sauce Pot
Saute Pan
Wooden Spoon
A Medium-sized Ladle (nothing too big. you’ll see why soon)
Another small pot
In the small pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer and then kill the heat. Then, add the wine. Hold this mixture hot at all times until the cooking process is done.
Add the 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and saute the mushrooms on high heat until they’re golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Set them aside for now.
Heat the 2 Ounces of Olive Oil in the sauce pot.
Add the onions and the garlic and sweat on medium just until the garlic begins to turn golden. Remember, if it burns, it’s going to be bitter.
Add all the rice and stir to coat all the kernels with oil. Toast the rice until the individual kernels are slightly translucent.
Using your ladle, add in your first bit of stock/wine mixture and then stir occasionally until the bottom of the pan looks “dry.” This means the rice has absorbed all the stock and it’s ready for the next addition of liquid. Now, here’s the only tricky part about making Risotto; the amount of liquid needed. Depending on the type of rice you got, the conditions in your kitchen and other factors, the Risotto may need all the liquid or it may not. Just keep adding the liquid and tasting as you go along. The texture of the Risotto should be creamy and smooth. The rice kernels shouldn’t be hard, but they shouldn’t be like mashed potatoes either. Once you’ve got the right consistency…
Kill the heat and add in the tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and butter. Stir to melt the butter and the cheese. Check for seasonings and season with salt and pepper if needed. Finish the dish with the chopped parsley.
See? That wasn’t so hard was it? A lot of the dishes that people make out to be hard and/or time-consuming really aren’t. Sure, Risotto is a little hands-on, but as I said in my Ratatouille entry: the best dishes are always hands-on and a little fussy. Enjoy!
This is a fantastic recipe for a classic Italian dessert that I recently learned in my Pastry Techniques class here at the CIA. It’s real fun to make and it’s delicious to boot! Now, like my chef said, this deviates from the “normal” Panna Cotta recipe in a few places, but in all honesty, I like this version a whole lot better. So enjoy!
Panna Cotta
Ingredients:
3 Ounces of Cold Water (it has to be cold water)
0.6 Ounces of Powdered Gelatin
1 Quart of Heavy Cream (that’s 32 Ounces, by the way)
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
12 Ounces of Sugar
15 Ounces of Orange Juice
15 Ounces of Buttermilk
Hardware:
Wooden Spoon
Scale for weighing out all the ingredients (electronic scale would be best)
A Sauce Pot large enough to hold all the liquids
A Small Bowl to bloom the gelatin
Measuring Spoons
Instant Read Thermometer
18 – 19 Small containers
Bloom the gelatin in the cold water (let it sit in the cold water) for 10 – 12 minutes.
Combine the sugar, cream and vanilla extract in your sauce pot and make it hot, BUT DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL. use your thermometer and bring it to 185 – 195 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the gelatin is ready, add it to the hot liquid mixture and stir, off the heat, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Keep stirring until the whole mixture has cooled down a bit (lukewarm will do the trick).
Once the mixture is lukewarm, add the OJ and the buttermilk. Stir to combine.
Distribute the mix into the small containers (about 1 – 2 ounces in size) and refrigerate overnight.
That’s it! You’re done! To serve, just release them from their molds and top with your favorite jam or preserves. An easy way to get them loose is to dip the bottom of the molds in hot water for 3 seconds and then turn them out onto a small plate. These desserts are great for dinner parties, Thanksgiving, etc. Enjoy!
Braising is a really interesting cooking technique that is actually quite fun to do and the final product is tender, moist and delicious. Many people today let slow-cookers or crock pots do all the work for them, which is fine by me. But, what if it breaks? Or if someone suddenly challenges you to make a braised item on the spot? Well, the latter may not happen, but the first one very well may. Besides, braising is, in my opinion, a fantastic cooking technique to learn. so, without further ado, here we go!
Braised Beef
Ingredients:
1 Oz. of Olive Oil
A 3-pound cut of Beef Chuck (yes it’s a fairly tough piece of meat, but the braising process will turn it into fork-tender goodness)
3 Oz. of Onions cut into 1-inch pieces
1.5 Oz. of Carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
1.5 Oz. of Celery cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 Cup of Tomato Puree
1 Cup of Red Wine
12 Oz. of Demi Glace (see yesterday’s entry if you’re confused)
12 Oz. of Beef Broth or Stock
1 Branch of Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hardware:
Chef’s Knife
Large Oven-Safe Pan with straight sides
Tongs
Wooden Spoon
Thoroughly dry and season the meat.
In the pan, add the oil over high heat.
When the oil is ready, sear the meat on all sides until browned. This will add flavor to the finished product.
When the meat is browned on all sides, remove and set it aside for now.
With the remaining fat in the pan, add all the onions, carrots and celery (a.k.a. Mirepoix). Caramelize all veggies.
When the veg becomes browned along the edges, deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping the bottom with your wooden spoon.
Add the tomato puree and any juices that dripped off the meat while it rested.
Add the demi glace anfd the stock/broth and stir everything to combine. Bring to a boil.
When it reaches a boil, add the meat back into the pan.
Cover the whole thing with foil and slide it into a 350-degree oven for 1 to 2 hours.
When it is halfway through cooking, use your tongs and flip the meat over, then add the thyme and bay leaf.
Cook until fork-tender.
The best part? The braising liquid can be cooked and reduced into a luscious sauce to serve with the beef. Once the beef is done, you won’t even need a knife to cut through it. Less dishes to do later! Hope you enjoyed this one!
The Chicken is in the upper left-hand corner, btw.
Another day, another recipe courtesy of my old Culinary Skills notebook! This is another favorite recipe of mine from that class, mainly because I am a huge fan of sauteed items, such as Chicken Breast. Granted, a lot of people say it’s kind of bland, but hey, I like to think of it as a blank canvas for flavor. Especially when it’s a sauce derived from the chicken itself and, of course, augmented with some great complimenting flavors.
Sauteed Chicken Breast with Pan Sauce
Ingredients:
2 to 3 Chicken Breasts, Pounded flat
2 Oz. of Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Tablespoon of Shallots, Minced
1 Oz. Olive Oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)
2 Oz. and 1 Tablespoon of White Wine
2 Oz. of Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Parsley, Chopped
1/2 Cup of Demi Glace (classic Mother Sauce. Made by reducing Chicken, Beef or Veal Stock down until it is thick)
1/2 Tablespoon of Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hardware:
Large Saute Pan (large enough to fit all 3 chicken breasts in at the same time)
Spring-loaded Tongs
Whisk
Chef’s Knife
Cooling Rack for chicken
Wooden Hammer
Pound the chicken breasts flat with hammer.
Dry surface of chicken and season, liberally, with salt and pepper.
Put the saute pan onto HIGH heat. The pan has to be VERY hot in order to do this.
Add the oil to the pan and, when it shimmers, add the chicken.
Sautes the chicken until the edges and the bottom are golden.
Flip over and saute until that side is also golden.
Transfer the chicken to the cooling rack, which is set over wither a bowl or sheet pan to catch the drippings.
Drain any excess fat from the pan, lower the heat to medium and deglaze with the 2 Oz. of wine.
Cook until the wine is reduced.
Add the drippings from the chicken and the 2 Oz. of cream, as well as the parsley.
Bring this mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.
Add the Demi Glace and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of wine.
Season with salt and pepper. Adjust thickness of sauce by adding chicken stock to thin it out, if desired.
Re-heat the chicken breasts in the sauce for about a minute before serving.
The best part of this dish? If done right, you should still be able to get a crisp texture from the chicken, even after its been simmering in the sauce for a bit. This dish really showcases a whole myriad of flavors. It really is as much fun to eat as it is to cook. So, enjoy!
Hello once again! I bring more tidings from my Culinary Skills Notebook! Sorry this one’s a little later in the day. My new class doesn’t let out until about 8:30 at night. But that’s not going to stop me from continuing Recipe Week! Today’s recipe is a personal favorite soup from that class; Broccoli Cream Soup. Don’t say you hate broccoli until you give this soup a try! Yes, it is that good.
Broccoli Cream Soup
Ingredients:
2 Oz. Olive Oil
2 Oz. Leeks, Chopped Fine
2 Oz. Celery, Chopped Fine
4 Oz. Onions, Chopped Fine
4 Oz. Flour, Sifted
2 Pounds of Broccoli, Peeled and Chopped (include the stems)
2 Tablespoons Garlic, Minced
2 Quarts of either Chicken or Vegetable Stock
4 Oz. Cream
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hardware
Chef’s Knife
Wooden Spoon
Hand Sifter
Large Soup/Stock Pot
Heavy Duty Bar Blender
Vegetable Peeler
Larger Strainer
Smaller Pot
Place your pot on medium heat and add the Oil.
When the Oil shimmers, add the Leeks, Onions and Celery. Sweat until they are soft.
Add a pinch of salt and also the Garlic. Cook until the Garlic softens.
Add all the Broccoli. Florets should be relatively small and have no brown spots. Stems should be peeled, all woody areas removed and cut into small rounds.
Cook briefly to warm Broccoli.
Sprinkle sifted flour on top of everything and stir to make sure the flour is thoroughly coated with the oil.
When the flour is coated, add the chicken or vegetable stock. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
When it reaches a boil, turn back the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will notice the liquid begin to thicken as the cooking goes on.
When it’s done simmering, kill the heat and CAREFULLY (I can’t stress this enough) pour the whole thing into your blender.
Add the parsley and cayenne pepper. Buzz until the consistency uniform and liquid.
In a separate pot, bring the cream to just a boil then kill the heat.
Strain the broccoli mixture into the hot cream, making sure to get out ALL the solids and fibers left behind by the broccoli.
Stir to bring the soup together. Serve while warm and garnish with a small broccoli floret.
Now I’m sure most of you are asking “Cayenne Pepper?! Really?!” Yes. Believe me, it just works! There’s something about Broccoli that works so well with a subtle hint of heat and spice. The flavors compliment each other very well. This is one delicious soup that can be served either as an appetizer or as a meal in itself. Hope you enjoy!
Now, I have to ask, when someone says “Ratatouille” what do you think of? The Disney/Pixar movie? Well…yeah. Good movie, but that’s another blog. When I say Ratatouille, I’m talking about the traditional French dish. A dish so flavorful and so stuffed with vegetables that even the most hardcore nutritionist and/or vegetarian would be happy. While it is true that this dish takes a bit of fussing over, your patience will be rewarded because Ratatouille is both good and good for you. So come on in, give it a try and expand your culinary horizons!
Ratatouille
Ingredients:
2 Oz. and 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Garlic, Minced
4 Oz. Onion, Diced
4 Oz. Bell Peppers, Diced (color is up to you)
4 Oz. (or 1/2 Cup) Tomato Puree
8 Oz. Tomato Concasse (tomatoes that have been peeled and diced)
8 Oz. Yellow Squash, Diced
8 Oz. Zucchini, Diced
8 Oz. Eggplant, Diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Basil Chiffonade to finish (Basil leaves that have been cut into thin ribbons)
Hardware:
Saute Pan
Large Stock Pot or Soup Pot
Silicone Spatula
Wooden Spoon
Chef’s Knife
Talking cartoon rat that can help you cook (optional)
A quick note before I launch into the cooking procedure. In this dish, more than any other, order matters. What do I mean? Well, if you just threw every veggie in there and started to cook and cook and cook, you’d have some that are underdone and some that are overdone. Bad news if you ask me. So, to avoid a culinary catastrophe, add the veggies that take the longest to cook, first. Then, add the rest in increments until they’re all done, seasoning each layer as you go, stirring every once in a while. Trust me, you DO NOT want to skip this step. You don’t want to make the rat sad, do you?
In the large pot of your choosing, add the 2 Oz. of olive oil and sweat the onions and garlic on medium heat until the garlic is golden. Don’t let the garlic burn or else it will get bitter and ruin the rest of the dish.
Veggies that take the longest to cook, go in first. So, add the Bell Peppers into the pot and season with salt. Cook until they’re nice and soft.
Meanwhile, in the saute pan, add the remaining oil and saute the Eggplant on medium-high heat until they’re well browned on all sides. Don’t skip this step either. This will actually mellow out the bitterness of the Eggplant. Once they’re browned, kill the heat and set them aside for now.
Once the Bell Peppers are tender, add the Zucchini and the Squash. Season with salt.
Add the Tomato Puree to the pot and continue cooking until both the Zucchini and the Squash are tender.
When they become tender, add the Eggplant. Season.
Cook and stir to incorporate everything, and then add the last of the veggies; the Tomatoes. Season.
Cook everything for another 4 to 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Kill the heat, finish with a few grinds of Black Pepper and the Basil. Serve while warm.
There you have it! Your very own slice of France, and you didn’t even need a tiny talking rat to help you out. Ratatouille is a little fussy, but let’s be honest; what good dish ISN’T a little bit fussy? Besides, because you were in the driver’s seat, you know that it’s going to be great! I hope you enjoy this one!
Hello everyone and welcome to Recipe Week! It’s a week straight of recipes straight from my own Culinary Skills Notebook! So I hope you enjoy! We’re starting off big with one of my favorite recipes from the class: Roasted Pork Loin with Jus Lie Sauce.
Roast Pork Loin with Jus Lie Sauce
Ingredients:
10 – 12 oz. Pork Loin
10 oz. of Grapeseed Oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
3 oz. of Quartered Onions
1.5 oz each of Chopped Celery and Carrots
Cornstarch Slurry (2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch mixed in an equal amount of cool water)
1 Pint of Chicken or Beef Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hardware:
Large Mixing Bowl
Oven-safe Saute Pan
Oven-safe rack that can fit inside the Saute Pan
Whisk
Tongs
Chef’s Knife
Fine Mesh Strainer
Preheat your oven to 350-degrees.
Liberally season the Pork Loin with Salt and Pepper. If the Pork Loin is cold, allow to sit and come to room temperature before continuing.
Place the 10 oz. of oil into the saute pan and allow to heat up. When the oil shimmers, it’s ready.
Sear the Loin on all sides until golden brown.
When it’s done searing, transfer the loin to the rack briefly.
Put the prepped mirepoix in the pan and then put the rack with Pork Loin on top of the veggies.
Put the whole assembly int he oven and roast at 350 for 1 hour or until the internal temp of the pork hits 135 – 140 degrees.
When the pork is ready, pull and rest the pork for 15 – 20 minutes.
Strain off the excess fat from the saute pan and return to the cooktop on medium heat.
Deglaze the pan with the stock, add any drippings that come from the pork loin as it rests and scrape the bottom of the pan with your whisk.
Add the slurry until the desired thickness is reached (it should coat the back of a spoon easily).
Strain out the veggies and any other solids and serve warm with the Pork.
Pork, done right, is one of the most flavorful things you can wrap your lips around. A good pork loin has all the flavor it will ever need right inside. All you need to do is season simply with salt and pepper. Don’t get too crazy or fancy with flavor augmentation, or else you’ll overwhelm the natural goodness of the pork itself. The sauce is the perfect accompaniment for the pork, seeing as how it’s flavor base stems from the meat drippings and the fond at the bottom of the pan. I hope you enjoyed this recipe and I hope you keep reading this week for more!
Hey guys! I’m back! I know it’s been a really long time since I’ve posted an entry up and I also realize that I’ve missed a couple of days when I said that an entry would be posted. I apologize. My current class is about 7 hours long, ending around 8:30PM EST and between that and homework, there aren’t enough hours in a day. But, the good news is that this class is chock full of recipes that I can share with you all! So, without further ado, here’s the first of many!
French Onion Soup with Gruyere Croutons
Ingredients (Soup):
2 ounces and 1 teaspoon of Clarified Butter
2 pounds of Sliced Onions
2 ounces of White Wine
2 quarts of White Stock (this means that the bones have not been roasted prior to stock-making)
1 small Herb Sachet which is made of: 1 clove of garlic, 1 bay leaf, Half a teaspoon of dry thyme and cracked peppercorns, A small bunch each of fresh thyme and parsley
Add salt to taste
1 ounce of Apple Jack Brandy to finish
Ingredients (Croutons):
12 Slices of a French-style Baguette (this equals roughly 2 or 3 per person)
Half a pound of Shredded Gruyere Cheese
Hardware:
Saute Pan
Soup Pot
Wooden Spoon
Tongs
Sheet Pan lined with Parchment Paper
Box Grater
Measuring Spoons or other measuring devices
Cheesecloth
Twine
Chef’s Knife
Put the soup pot on high heat and add the clarified butter. When the butter shimmers, the pot has come to the correct temperature.
When the pot is hot, add the 2 pounds of sliced onion. Saute on medium high or high heat until the onions caramelize.
In the Saute Pan, add the remaining 1 teaspoon of the clarified butter and toast the bread slices in batches until the underside is well toasted. Remove to the sheet pan when they’re done and place them toasted side up.
Add a small handful of the shredded cheese to each bread slice and season with salt and pepper. Toast until brown and crispy on the tops.
When the onions have finished caramelizing, season with salt and deglaze with the white wine.
Add the stock and bring the liquid back up to a boil. When it reaches a boil again, lower the heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes before adding the herb sachet.
To make the sachet, bundle all the ingredients inside the cheesecloth and tie it shut with the twine, leaving about a foot or so of the twine so that you can dangle the sachet in the pot, while having it tied off to one of the pot’s handles.
Simmer the soup for another 5 – 10 minutes, or until it is done to your liking. Finish with the Apple Jack Brandy. Remove the sachet before serving.
Top each bowl of soup with a crouton.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! It’s as fun to make as it is to eat, trust me on that one! If anyone is confused about making fresh stock or clarified butter, I’ll make a small entry to explain the nuances of those two items. Until next time food fans!
